"I Protest" is the name given to a grass root movement of E-Protesters that uses electronic media, blogging and social networking to protest against the civilian killings in Indian Administrated Kashmir.[1] One of the methods to register the protest is by changing your profile picture to one with "I Protest" written in it.[2][3]
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The term evolved in the Kashmir against the killing of innocent people by the Indian Security Forces in the summer of 2010 (see table below). The people of the valley came out on streets raising slogans against the forcible rule of the Indian Government claiming Jammu and Kashmir a part of it. Even media personnel were barred from covering these incidents, with the CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) disregarding officially issued curfew passes.[4] The Indian Authorities imposed curfew on the movement of people and even the circulation of newspapers. However, Kashmiris with Internet access, especially those in the demographic of 18-35.[5] at started protesting at home via Social Networking sites and blogs. This gave rise to e-Protest and iProtest. Kashmiris used black pictures with tagline as 'I Protest' and kept it as their profile pictures on Facebook.
In a press statement issued on 24 June 2010 Hurriyat Conference had suggested people to use various forms of protest. Protesters registered their protests by writing “Go India, Go Back” on walls, boards, placards, roads, social networking websites like Facebook, Twitter and Gmail Buzz. In a bid to contain the voices of dissent emanating from social networking site - Facebook, the state police started crackdown on internet users of Kashmir for posting "anti-India" remarks on social networking sites. The newspaper Greater Kashmir reported that the organizers of a Facebook group were summoned for questioning by the police for posting reports and video footage of the rioting in Srinagar. It was highly condemned by various organizations.[6]