Journalism of Courage
‘So, so proud’: Delhi cafe opens doors to help CJP march protesters, co-founder reacts
The staff at Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters reportedly allowed people to take shelter inside, refill their water bottles free of charge and receive basic first aid.
Users alleged that the cafe staff allowed people to take shelter inside, refill their water bottles free of charge (Photo: Express Photo)
Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters’ outlet in Delhi’s Janpath won plaudits on social media after it reportedly provided shelter, free water refills, and first aid to students caught in the chaos during the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) ‘Sansad Chalo’ protest on Monday.
Following the incident, co-founder Matt Chitharanjan reacted to the viral posts on Instagram. Resharing one of the videos on his Instagram Story, Chitharanjan said, “So so proud of our team for handling the violence and chaos so well. But also wish that being decent to people wasn’t so rare that it gets celebrated.”
Blue Tokai wins praise
The protest turned tense after thousands of CJP supporters gathered for the ‘Sansad Chalo’ march on the opening day of Parliament’s Monsoon Session. The CJP had organised the march to demand accountability over the alleged irregularities in the NEET examination and to seek the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
As videos from the protest circulated, several social media users claimed that the Blue Tokai outlet in Janpath opened its doors to protesters attempting to escape the police action. They said that the cafe staff allowed people to take shelter inside, refill their water bottles free of charge, and receive basic first aid.
One Instagram user, @sxnchay, shared a video recounting the events after leaving the protest. “I am heading back home from the protest. And we got tear-gassed, we got lathi-charged. A lot of people in front of me, a lot of people I know personally, got manhandled brutally by the police and the RAF,” the user said.
The user also thanked the cafe staff, claiming that the Janpath outlet “helped the protesters in such a good way” by offering shelter, setting up a first-aid station and assisting those affected by the police action.
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The video went viral, with several users reacting to it. “Thanks for supporting the cause, so much respect to everyone who stood together today,” a user wrote. “THANK YOU BLUE TOKAI. When places were not letting people come, they not only gave us shelter, gave us resources, took down lights to ensure our safety, and tried to do everything. Love you all,” another user commented.
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