<p>Bengaluru: A security guard at Cubbon Park assaulted a boy practising skating in the lung space on Saturday, prompting the registration of a police complaint. </p>.<p>Skating enthusiasts practising in Cubbon Park for years say security personnel are stopping them by claiming they are carrying out "commercial activities". They say they hold free classes, which cannot be classified as commercial activities. </p>.<p>The boy was allegedly attacked by a person claiming to be the head of security at Cubbon Park. A purported video seen by <em>DH</em> showed the person pushing a few skaters and threatening them. </p>.<p>A representative of the Bengaluru Skating community said that it was not the first time they had been asked to not skate inside the park. </p>.<p>"Several times in the past four months, we were asked by guards to stop skating inside the park. When questioned, they said it was an order from the Horticulture Department,” said the representative. </p>.<p>He added that guards asked for a permission letter from the deputy director of the department. However, skating enthusiasts have been practising inside the park for at least eight years now and were never asked for a permission letter, except once after the pandemic. </p>.<p>"It was never a problem with the authorities earlier. The guards started troubling us only recently,” he said. </p>.Silent protest against allowing traffic into Cubbon Park on Saturdays, public holidays.<p><strong>Space to get signboard?</strong></p>.<p>Divye Karde, representative for the Bengaluru Skaters, claimed that they reached out to the department after Saturday’s incident and sought permission.</p>.<p>The director of the horticulture department reportedly permitted installing a board mentioning volunteer space so that it is more transparent. However, nothing has been given in writing. </p>.<p>“We got a positive response from the director as he nodded to our request after several rounds of discussion. We look forward to its implementation,” Karde said. </p>.<p>Karde emphasised that the group consisted of volunteers and no money was being charged. "We are hundreds in number and a few of them teach amateur skaters. Maybe that's why the department deemed it to be a commercial activity, but no money is involved at all,” Karde told DH.</p>.<p>Karde said that a lot of young people practise skating regularly. It is a recreational and fitness activity. However, there is no space for practising it for free. There is no dedicated place for skaters in the city. Cubbon Park is the place where volunteers are promoting skating and they can’t afford to lose it. </p>
<p>Bengaluru: A security guard at Cubbon Park assaulted a boy practising skating in the lung space on Saturday, prompting the registration of a police complaint. </p>.<p>Skating enthusiasts practising in Cubbon Park for years say security personnel are stopping them by claiming they are carrying out "commercial activities". They say they hold free classes, which cannot be classified as commercial activities. </p>.<p>The boy was allegedly attacked by a person claiming to be the head of security at Cubbon Park. A purported video seen by <em>DH</em> showed the person pushing a few skaters and threatening them. </p>.<p>A representative of the Bengaluru Skating community said that it was not the first time they had been asked to not skate inside the park. </p>.<p>"Several times in the past four months, we were asked by guards to stop skating inside the park. When questioned, they said it was an order from the Horticulture Department,” said the representative. </p>.<p>He added that guards asked for a permission letter from the deputy director of the department. However, skating enthusiasts have been practising inside the park for at least eight years now and were never asked for a permission letter, except once after the pandemic. </p>.<p>"It was never a problem with the authorities earlier. The guards started troubling us only recently,” he said. </p>.Silent protest against allowing traffic into Cubbon Park on Saturdays, public holidays.<p><strong>Space to get signboard?</strong></p>.<p>Divye Karde, representative for the Bengaluru Skaters, claimed that they reached out to the department after Saturday’s incident and sought permission.</p>.<p>The director of the horticulture department reportedly permitted installing a board mentioning volunteer space so that it is more transparent. However, nothing has been given in writing. </p>.<p>“We got a positive response from the director as he nodded to our request after several rounds of discussion. We look forward to its implementation,” Karde said. </p>.<p>Karde emphasised that the group consisted of volunteers and no money was being charged. "We are hundreds in number and a few of them teach amateur skaters. Maybe that's why the department deemed it to be a commercial activity, but no money is involved at all,” Karde told DH.</p>.<p>Karde said that a lot of young people practise skating regularly. It is a recreational and fitness activity. However, there is no space for practising it for free. There is no dedicated place for skaters in the city. Cubbon Park is the place where volunteers are promoting skating and they can’t afford to lose it. </p>