Mysuru’s Streets Echo With Calls for Total Animal Liberation

It was a warm Saturday afternoon when a sea of people slipped through the gates of the old Deputy Commissioner’s office in Mysuru, their voices swelling into a chorus that demanded nothing less than total animal liberation. Hundreds—maybe a little more, maybe a little less—joined together, some with placards, others simply shouting slogans that rang across the square.

The march didn’t linger on polite petitions about better welfare standards. No, the crowd was clear: they wanted an outright end to using animals for food, leather, entertainment and any other purpose that treats a sentient being like a tool. They called it “total animal liberation,” a phrase that seemed to reverberate louder than any ordinary protest chant.

Organisers steered the procession toward the Town Hall, a short walk that felt like a pilgrimage for many of the participants. Along the route, you could see a mixture of ages—students, retirees, families with curious kids—each holding up placards that read things like “Animals are not slaves” and “End animal exploitation now.” Some signs were hand‑drawn, others printed, but the message was uniformly urgent.

Vasudha, one of the key organisers, stopped for a brief interview near the town hall. She pointed out the stubborn presence of horse‑drawn carriages that still weave through Mysuru’s streets despite the easy availability of modern vehicles. “Animals are not here to serve humans, and they are not our slaves,” she said, her voice carrying a mix of frustration and hope. “It is high time society collectively changed its mindset and moved beyond what we were taught in childhood.”

Alongside the march, volunteers handed out leaflets that talked about plant‑based nutrition, alternatives to animal‑derived products, and basic animal‑rights philosophy. Some onlookers, initially puzzled, lingered to read the pamphlets, their eyebrows raising in curiosity. A few even joined the chant, adding their voices to the growing chorus.

This isn’t the first time Mysuru has seen protests against animal exploitation, but according to the organisers, the turnout this Saturday felt larger than many previous gatherings. They said they plan to keep the momentum alive, hoping to expand the movement beyond the city’s limits in the months and years ahead.

As the crowd regrouped at the old Deputy Commissioner’s office for a final rally, the air was thick with a mixture of determination and a lingering scent of incense that some participants had lit in memory of the animals they wished to protect. The march may have ended, but the conversation it sparked—about sentience, rights, and the everyday choices we make—continues to ripple through Mysuru’s streets.