India’s Cockroach Janata Party Is Bringing Their Revolution To Your Screens

From chronically online to constantly outside. India’s Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) is flooding the internet with evidence of the cruelty and injustices being inflicted upon protesters by their government and armed forces. From eye-catching edits to memes and GIFs. CJP supporters are using the internet to keep their cause at the front of people’s minds and continue to press for their demands to be met.  Singh, a teenager attending a protest on Wednesday, said, “This is the only thing anyone is talking about. If nothing, we are televising our revolution. 

The movement has manifested in a variety of colourful ways, with some protesters donning superhero costumes and others adopting the imagery of the Japanese manga One Piece, which has become a trademark of youth-led protests across the world. This is only a glimpse into the ways pop and meme culture is influencing Gen Z’s protest tactics. 18-year-old Yashvi Kumar summed it up well in this statement, “In the middle of all the chaos, somewhere we decided that to rebel, we need to find a way that unites us. The memes are uniting us. ”.

Supporters of the CJP are demonstrating their commitment to bringing the truth of the violence to light by documenting the protests even at risk of their own health. Teenagers like Avanshika Singh have been running through the streets recording smartphone footage of the pandemonium even as their eyes burn from clouds of tear gas. Singh says, “The entire country today feels the sting of batons and tear gas with us.”

It’s been reported that excessive force was used on protesters in Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, including tear gas and assault using batons on women and children. Aljazeera stated that the July 20th march on the Indian parliament brought the capital to a standstill as demonstrators overtook main roads and blocked off access to government buildings. It’s also been reported that more than 100 students were injured by police, with express permission from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.