Los Angeles Vigil Expresses Solidarity With India Student Protestors

India-West News Desk

LOS ANGELES, CA – Community members gathered outside the Indian Consulate in Los Angeles on July 24 for a solidarity vigil organized by the South Asian Network (SAN) to express support for students in India following examination failures, paper leaks, and subsequent protests.

The gathering drew students, advocates, educators, and community members.

SAN said the organization does not affiliate with or endorse any political party but has consistently opposed human rights violations.

“This vigil was not about politics, it was about defending the fundamental human rights of students and the universal right to protest peacefully,” a SAN member said.

Addressing questions about the purpose of holding a vigil in Los Angeles, SAN said the event was intended to demonstrate solidarity with students in India and to show that communities outside the country were paying attention to the situation.

Dr. Akhila L. Ananth, an assistant professor at California State University, Los Angeles, linked the demonstrations in India to broader movements for justice.

“If you are out marching in the streets of Delhi, the streets of Bombay, the streets of Boston, we are with you,” she said.

At the conclusion of the program, participants marched while chanting, “From L.A. to India, across the sea, we stand here in solidarity,” and “Raise your voice, make it clear, students matter everywhere.”

SAN said several attendees shared personal connections to the events in India. One participant, identified as Saranya N., said she came across the vigil during a coffee break and thanked organizers for acknowledging developments in her homeland. Other attendees said they had been concerned about friends and family in India and welcomed the opportunity to express their support.