MUMBAI, Aug 27: Thousands of Indians in black, some wearing black bandannas over their mouths, marched through Bombay on Wednesday in a silent protest against this week’s twin car bombings that killed 51 people.

More than 3,000 demonstrators gathered at the Gateway of India landmark — where one of the bombs exploded on Monday — and headed for the state government offices.

Many men wore black shirts and women black saris. They were joined by a large group of tour guides, balloon sellers and other vendors who were working in the area when the bomb went off in the trunk of a taxi.

“There is great anger in the people. That is why we have got such a good response,” said Vijaybhai Girkar, Bombay chief of India’s ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, which organised the rally with the hardline Shiv Sena party.

Barricades and police armed with bamboo sticks stopped the rally about 500 metres from the government offices. The demonstrators sat and stood around for a while before quietly dispersing.—Reuters