- Protesters created humorous 'What's in my bag' and GRWM videos as well as captioned workout routines, which collectively lowered the psychological barrier to joining the protests.
- The protest site provided free ice cream, chai, food from across the country, medical aid, and legal aid – elements perfect to travel on a feed as easily as any meme.
- After the July 20 march to Parliament turned violent, feeds filled with a field manual including advice on dealing with tear gas, protective goggles, and lining jeans with thermocol to soften baton blows.
- The government acknowledged social media's power, with PM Modi advising Cabinet colleagues to engage with youth on Instagram through Reels and interactive sessions.
- Protester Rhiya Ahir told NDTV: 'People say we take a lot of pictures - this is why we take a lot of pictures, so that we have proof', referencing a defining image of the protests.
- Gen Z protesters used Instagram to document and share the movement, making Instagram as important as the protest site itself. The movement's most effective tool was Gen Z's instinct to document, joke, post and share with Instagram.
- Even detention became content, with protesters cracking jokes inside police buses, singing, filming selfies, and turning the experience into a vlog with humour and defiance.
- The protests extended online, allowing millions who never set foot at Jantar Mantar to participate in shaping the narrative.
Gen Z protesters in India have effectively utilized Instagram to document and share their experiences during the CJP protests, creating a vibrant online narrative that transcends physical protest sites.89
The movement's most effective tool was not a manifesto but rather Gen Z's instinct to document, joke, post, and share with Instagram as its amplifier. Constant phone use became documentation, while meme fluency and short-form videos facilitated mobilization and recruitment.
As the protests intensified, so did their online presence. Support surged after the July 20 march to Parliament turned violent, with protesters accusing the police of excessive force. Videos showed protesters cracking jokes inside police buses and turning their experiences into vlogs, often with captions that mixed humor with defiance.4510
The protests also highlighted the importance of community, with volunteers providing aid and comfort, creating a space that resisted the visual grammar of protest-as-suffering. “People say we take a lot of pictures - this is why we take a lot of pictures, so that we have proof,” said Rhiya Ahir, recalling a defining moment of the protests.7
The government acknowledged the power of social media, with PM Modi advising his Cabinet to engage with youth on Instagram, recognizing the platform's role in shaping public discourse.
Overall, the protests demonstrated that public demonstrations are not confined to the streets; they continue online, allowing millions to participate in shaping the narrative, leveraging their instinct to document their experiences.
“Protesters posted humorous GRWM and 'What's in my bag' videos lowering barriers; even detention became content with jokes and selfies. After the July 20 march turned violent, feeds filled with tear gas advice and tips to line jeans with thermocol; PM Modi advised Cabinet to engage on Instagram Reels.”
