Up to 22,000 people from around 70 Christian denominations took to the streets in New Delhi, India on February 19, to protest against rising intolerance towards Christianity in the country.

The charity Open Doors International has India at 11th on its World Watch List, describing it as ‘a place of extreme persecution for many of the country’s 69.5 million Christians’. They cite the increasing use of anti-conversion laws, as well as violence against Christians and attacks on church buildings. The New Delhibased United Christian Forum recorded 598 reported cases of violence against Christians in 2022.

Abraham Mathew of the National Council of Churches in India told Christianity Today: “This coming together of all the denominations is to show our unity to strengthen the kingdom of God.”