The protesters had assembled to read I Am Malala and The Diary of a Young Girl-the books that recently triggered action by the DEO. The reading session was organised near the DEO's office in Vastrapur to protest the action and assert freedom of thought and the right to read. Participants said the gathering began at 4pm, with readers bringing their own copies of the books.

However, around 5.30pm, a group of activists who identified themselves as members of the Bajrang Dal and VHP allegedly arrived and objected to participants reading I Am Malala. They reportedly asked the readers to instead read books on Jawaharlal Nehru and BR Ambedkar. Jay Thakkar, one of the organisers, said the participants tried to engage with the group peacefully, but the situation soon turned hostile. "They asked us to prove that we were not Muslims. During the heated argument, three suffered head injuries and I badly injured my elbow," he said. The group went to Vastrapur police station. However, they said their complaint was not registered and the matter remained unresolved until late Thursday night.

An official statement by the student and youth collective alleged that the protesters were beaten, forced into the police van and taken to Vastarpur station One of them was allegedly threatened and told that if she continued to record the incident, they would "make her disappear and no one would find her".