{
  "id": 18016793,
  "title": "Right to protest can't justify endless occupation of a site: SC",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/right-to-protest-cant-justify-endless-occupation-of-a-site-sc",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-03T20:27:16.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Times of India",
    "slug": "times-of-india",
    "url": "https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/right-to-protest-cant-justify-endless-occupation-of-a-site-sc/articleshow/135512694.cms"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that any group, political party, NGO, or civil society organization cannot occupy a protest site indefinitely. The bench comprised Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, who acknowledged competing fundamental rights: the right to carry on trade and business, and the right to free speech and expression. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing traders, urged the court to restrain all parties from holding protests in Delhi for two months to allow businesses to resume and workers to receive their due compensation. The court directed the traders' association to involve protest organizers in the case to determine compensation and its apportionment if awarded. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta emphasized that those calling for bandhs and agitations must bear responsibility for compensating the loss caused to others. The bench urged the individuals, organizations, and political parties responsible for protests to be held accountable for the closure of shops. Senior advocates Menaka Guruswamy, Arundhati Katju, and N Hariharan argued that protests are part of the right to free speech and dissent in a democracy, but the court clarified that the right to protest is not absolute and must not hamper the livelihood of daily wagers, hawkers, rediwalas, and sabziwalas. Chief Justice Kant emphasized that a designated protest site should be identified to allow protests without disrupting the livelihood of daily wagers. Mehta cautioned against calling for protests without permission and marching to Parliament. Finally, Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar explained that the decision to denotify Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site was made based on recommendations from a committee formed after the SC's July 2018 order regulating protests at the site, considering the proximity of the new Parliament premises and the need to ensure the security and uninterrupted functioning of a crucial constitutional institution.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [
    "Supreme Court ruled indefinite site occupation by groups is illegal",
    "Right to protest balanced with right to livelihood, free speech",
    "Jantar Mantar designated protest site denotified due to security concerns"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}