Protesters Fill the Street Outside Madison Square Garden as RSS Chief Speaks NYC

August 29th, 2026 MANHATTAN, New York - Large crowds of protesters and supporters are gathered outside Madison Square Garden, where RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat is scheduled to deliver an afternoon keynote The event, titled "Universal Oneness Celebration," is organized by American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue. Organizers say more than 200 Hindu American organizations are collaborating and that they expect about 5,000 people in the Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden. Sunita Viswanath, executive director of Hindus for Human Rights, said ahead of the event that she expected hundreds of protesters. Her group is one of 61 interfaith and secular organizations that signed an open letter opposing the appearance. Mayor Zohran Mamdani publicly opposed the event this week, calling RSS ideology exclusionary