Protesters share offline maps, tear gas remedies amid Jantar Mantar stir

As the Jantar Mantar protest continued, social media users shared tips on coping with internet shutdowns, navigation, communication and minimizing exposure to tear gas. Protesters also exchanged practical ideas to prepare for disruptions and protect themselves during demonstrations

New Delhi: Quick hacks have flooded social media on how to subvert recurring internet shutdowns and cure a tear gas burn as cockroach movement protesters refuse to budge from Jantar Mantar and their skirmishes with the police continue.

Offline maps and antidotes are among the many tips being shared in helping protesters stay put. A social media user who felt stranded amid internet shutdowns several times during his vigil advised participants to download offline maps before reaching the protest site.

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He recommended keeping Bluetooth-based messaging apps that work without mobile data or WiFi, and installing locally run large language models (LLMs) that operate directly on a device instead of relying on cloud-based AI services, allowing access even during internet outages.

The user also said purchasing LoRa-based communication devices, which can help people stay in touch over longer distances when mobile networks are unavailable and advised saving the contact details of at least five people living near the protest venue for emergencies.

Advice on dealing with tear gas are being widely circulated. A social media user suggested carrying a mixture of equal parts water and an antacid such as Maalox or Digene, saying it may help reduce the burning sensation and irritation in eyes after exposure to tear gas.

The woman shared the remedy after a friend had found it useful during a protest. Another protester admitted to carrying a painter’s mask or a normal dust mask and protective goggles to reduce exposure to smoke and irritants.

Novel ways are also being devised to offset a baton’s blow. One agitator said he placed thermocol sheets inside his jeans around the back and hip area for cushioning.

He said he carried a spare shirt for himself and a kurta for any female protester in case someone’s clothes were torn during the demonstration. The protester said he also carried two helmets — one for himself and another to lend to the needy. The trend shows how demonstrators are increasingly relying on crowdsourced advice.

During their march to the Parliament on Monday, several students and other protesters were injured in many confrontations with the police. One of them, a woman, was rushed in a critical state to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.

Many police personnel also sustained wounds. The students, gathered at the call of Cockroach Janata Party, have been demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET fiasco.