Protests were held across India on Wednesday, June 28, in response to the “recent spate of targeted lynchings of Muslims in India,” according to the Facebook event for the Delhi rally, which an estimated 2,000 people attended.

Protests were held in at least 12 cities across India, in addition to a rally in London.

Attacks against Muslims and Dalits, who consider beef a staple of their diet, have been on the rise, according to the BBC, which reported: “Cow slaughter is banned in several Indian states and those found violating the law can be jailed for up to 10 years. Parliament is also considering a bill to bring in the death penalty for the crime.”

Vigilante cow protection groups have been emboldened since the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in 2014, the BBC reported.

On Tuesday, a mob attacked a Muslim dairy farmer in Jharkhand, beating him and setting his house on fire after a cow carcass was spotted outside his home, Indian Express reported.

On June 23, a 16-year-old Muslim teen, Junaid Khan, was stabbed to death by a mob of about 20 men armed with knives. Khan was riding the train with his brother in the northern state of Haryana, after doing Eid shopping in Delhi, when a fight broke out. Khan was accused of carrying beef in his bags, with the men yelling and calling him a “beef-eater” and “anti-national,” according to NDTV.

This video shows the protest in Patna, the capital of India’s Bihar state. Credit: Facebook/Mohammad Aamir via Storyful