Bangalore activists Mr. Shanmugam Raja - KTMI (Karnataka Tamil Makkal Iyakkam) , Balan - AICCTU( All India Central Council of Trade Unions) and high court advocate , Jagdish Chandra - New Socialist Alternative ),Vishwa - New socialist alternative, and editor of Dudiyora horatta addressing the press on Monday condemned the arrest of four activists including Mr.Thirumurugan Gandhi ,coordinator of May17 Movement. They demanded the government to drop all fabricated charges against the activists and release the human rights defenders. They asserted that protesting is not a crime and the government should decriminalize all the protest demonstrations. They said that the attack on the activists of the May 17 movement is not just an assault on the freedom of speech and expression but on the assault on all voices of opposition, who stand with the people when the state is becoming increasing repressive. New Socialist Alternative is a Trotskyist political party in India affiliated to the Committee for a Workers' International. It publishes the campaigning newspaper Dudiyora Horaata.