Watch: Lone Mumbai Woman Blocks Police Van With Protesters Inside, Then This Happened
A lone Mumbai woman, later identified as Rhiya Ahir, has become one of the defining faces of the Gen Z Protests in India, after she blocked Police Van packed with the Mumbaikars protesting Delhi Police brutality against students.
Mumbai: A dramatic scene happened in Mumbai on Wednesday July 22, 2026 as a large number of Mumbaikars gathered at Shivaji Park in Dadar to protest Delhi Police brutality against students at Jantar Mantar and other parts of New Delhi three days ago.
The Maharashtra Police had imposed Section 371(1) and (3) of the Maharashtra Police Act (1951) to prohibit gatherings of more than four people in Mumbai. However, angered by the brutality of the Delhi Police against the protesting students and youths at Jantar Mantar and other parts of New Delhi on Sunday, protests erupted in different parts of India, including Mumbai.
To express their anger and solidarity to the students demanding a transparent and more robust education and exam system in the wake of multiple paper leaks, including of NEET UG, thousands of people gathered at Shivaji Park in Dadar, despite the prohibitory orders and Wednesday being a working day.
Police detained the protesters and bundled them into the Police vans. As the protesters were about to be taken away from the protest side, a lone woman came and stood in front of a Police van.
The woman didn’t say anything… just stood in front of the Police van, blocking it with her both hands, as bystanders watched. Her endeavor bore fruits when after few minutes other demonstrators too joined her.
The woman was later identified as Rhiya Ahir, a 27-year-old Model.
“Their Chants”
Later on, Rhiya said she was walking from Kohinoor Square in Dadar towards Shivaji Park when she noticed the Police van packed with detainees.
“The sight immediately disturbed me. The van was stuffed from the front to the back. There was no space to stand,” Rhiya, who has become one of the defining faces of the Gen Z protests in India, is seen saying in a video which has now gone viral.
Sensing that the protesters were being taken away by the police, she rushed towards the vehicle and stood in front of it.
“I couldn’t help myself… Their chants…They pulled me towards them. I was like, if I’m going for the protest, it starts from here. They’re taking them away, and I cannot let that happen”, she added.
"I am not a farmer... Student nahi hu... Dalit aur OBC bhi nahi hu... But, what Delhi Police did to students is wrong", she said.
Watch Video
Meet Rhiya Ahir [IG: rhiyaahir]👏
— زماں (@Delhiite_) July 22, 2026
One fearless young woman stood in front of a police van during the Mumbai student protests, refusing to back down.
Courage can't be bought. Justice can't be silenced. Salute to her. 🫡🫡 pic.twitter.com/c9oAvhQPeq
The Police officers reportedly told her that the detainees would be released after the van had travelled some distance. Ahir, however, refused to accept that explanation.
“If you’re going to release them anyway, release them now,” she insisted.
Meanwhile, Dhurandhar Actress Ayesha Khan too shared her ordeal saying she was detained by the Mumbai Police as soon as she arrived at Shivaji Park.
“We didn’t do anything and has not uttered a single word… No slogan no shouting… But the moment we arrived at Shivaji Park, Police detained us and shooed away in the Police van parked nearby", she said.
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