On August 8, 2025, Uttar Pradesh police forcibly detained student protestors at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) during a peaceful demonstration.

The protests began on August 2, 2025, after the university imposed a sudden 36% fee hike on continuation and exam registration charges across undergraduate and postgraduate programs. Denouncing the hike as unfair, students demanded a complete rollback and blocked the campus’s main entrance in protest.

Following six days of demonstrations, AMU authorities authorized police to enter the campus during Friday prayers. Video footage shows officers dispersing students with batons, dragging away students who were praying on the sidewalk, and deploying tear gas to disperse the remaining demonstrators.

Scholars at Risk is concerned about the use of force during an on-campus protest and the detention of students for peacefully exercising their right to freedom of expression. While state authorities have the responsibility to maintain order and prevent disruption, they must refrain from the disproportionate use of force and endangerment of civilians and must respect the right to freedom of association and freedom of expression. Students and members of the public must refrain from violence, especially on campus, and also respect the right to freedom of association and freedom of expression. Such actions, beyond harming the immediate victims, have a chilling effect on academic freedom.

Sources:
*SAR identified this incident in data made publicly available by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED)
https://maktoobmedia.com/india/amu-students-assaulted-dragged-by-up-police-during-peaceful-protest-against-fee-hike/
https://muslimmirror.com/amu-students-assaulted-and-dragged-by-up-police-during-peaceful-fee-hike-protest/
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNIWvyBJCul/?igsh=cDQ3dnMzY3FxZXho