Kolkata doctor's rape-murder: Another 'Reclaim the Night' protest to be held on September 8 in Bengal

Thousands of women in West Bengal unite for 'Reclaim the Night' campaign demanding justice for a doctor's rape and murder

Thousands of women across West Bengal are expected to turn up at the third edition of the 'Reclaim the Night' campaign on September 8 midnight to press their demand for justice for a doctor who was allegedly raped and murdered at a hospital here last month.

The demonstration will be held on the completion of one month of the heinous crime.

The 'Reclaim the Night' movement on September 4 midnight, after the first such gatherings on August 14, gained momentum with the air across the state, from small towns to bustling cities, reverberating with the rallying cry: “We want justice”.

"Initially, we had given a call for a gathering of women during night hours at three-four places but it turned out to be a mass protest. People held demonstrations at multiple points in and around the city and districts in the state," social activist and one of the campaign initiators Rimjhim Sinha told reporters in Kolkata.

Buoyed by the response, another 'Reclaim the Night' gathering will be held on September 8 midnight night to seek 'justice for Abhaya', she said.

"We have been getting phone calls and messages from many people since the apolitical movement was initiated. It is a mass uprising. Protesters want a safe environment for women which the successive governments in the state and at the Centre failed to provide in all these years," Ms. Sinha said.

On the earlier occasions, political party flags were notably absent, and protesters were seen holding the national flags aloft, underscoring the unified call for justice beyond partisan lines.