The Chief Minister made the statement while speaking at a book release event. “The restrictions have been put in place in accordance with a High Court order. However, I will discuss with the Advocate-General of the state to see what can be done to ensure that the steps of Town Hall are free for protests,” he said, after releasing a book on the well-known Kannada writer Dr K Marulasiddappa, titled ‘Ethical Strength of Progressive Movements – Dr Marulasiddappa. He further added that protests are an integral part of democracy, and they act as feedback machinery to the government while ensuring accountability.