Indian protesters take a leaf out of Hong Kong to skirt restrictions

Before midnight on New Year’s Eve, a call to action was sent on a private WhatsApp group - within the hour, dozens gathered in the centre of the Hyderabad, many holding banners to protest a controversial new citizenship law.

Police quickly dispersed the group and briefly detained six people, but for Syed Faheem - who formed the WhatsApp group - it marked another successful flash protest, inspired by tactics used by protesters in Hong Kong.

Faheem, a software consultant, is one of a growing group of opponents to the new law who have begun to borrow tactics used in protests from Hong