• The Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha (KPRS), a farmers’ association, is slated to hold a protest at the Freedom Park in Bangalore on August 21. The exact timing of the protest remains undisclosed, as of writing.
• The protest will demand the immediate cancellation of the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project and a ban on the project’s operator, Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises (NICE), from operating in Karnataka state.
• This mobilization takes place against the backdrop of longstanding farmer grievances concerning the BMIC project, particularly allegations of opaque decision-making processes and the excessive acquisition of agricultural land by NICE.

1. Participation at the slated protest is likely to garner a turnout in the range of high dozens to low hundreds, given the mobilization capabilities of the group. Bolstered turnout is likely in case like-minded farmers’ groups join in the protest. The authorities are liable to bolster security measures in the vicinity of Freedom Park, as part of the standard security protocol. Such measures will include the deployment of police personnel and the setting up of barricades to monitor the crowd and minimize traffic disruptions.
2. There remains a latent risk of scuffles between the protesters and the police, particularly if the former resorts to breaching security protocols, such as by blocking key thoroughfares in the vicinity of Freedom Park. In such instances, the police are liable to employ crowd dispersal measures, including the use of baton charges and temporary detentions. Travel disruptions to pedestrian and vehicular traffic in the vicinity of Freedom Park are anticipated during the protest hours on August 21.

Those operating or residing in Bangalore on August 21 are advised to maintain vigilance due to the slated protest and associated risk of scuffles, while allotting for travel disruptions.