Mamata Banerjee Leads Mass Protest March in Kolkata Against Hawker Eviction Drive

The march, held in the heart of Kolkata, saw Mamata Banerjee surrounded by supporters carrying placards that read “rehabilitation first, demolition later.” The protesters demanded that vendors’ rights be safeguarded amid ongoing eviction operations targeting crowded marketplaces such as New Market and Howrah station.

Banerjee asserted her stance during the protest, vowing to protect the rights and livelihoods of street vendors affected by the ongoing clearance actions. The eviction drives have been intensified following the BJP’s landslide victory in the May 2026 elections, which ended the Trinamool Congress party’s 15-year rule in the state.

Critics of the eviction campaign have argued that the actions are in violation of a 2014 law that mandates prior surveys and the designation of vending zones before any removal of hawkers can be undertaken. They claim the present measures disregard these procedural safeguards.

However, state officials have defended the eviction operations, stating that the actions are necessary for maintaining public safety and urban order. Authorities have also indicated that relocation options are being offered to affected vendors as part of the enforcement process.

The protest highlights escalating tensions between political leadership and the state administration over urban space management and the rights of informal workers, underscoring a growing conflict between enforcement priorities and livelihood protection in West Bengal’s major commercial hubs.