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FUTA to protest from Colombo University to Galle Face

17 Apr 2022

The Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) will be engaging in a protest march tomorrow (19) from Colombo University to Galle Face Green, in solidarity with the ongoing people’s struggle. “FUTA has decided to embark on a token strike on 19 April to express our strong support and commitment to the people's struggle that demands drastic systemic changes in the current political establishment,” the FUTA said in a statement yesterday (17). The Association added that its demands include insisting that state universities be reopened to resume physical classes, and thereby “ensuring the full functioning of the state university system, which is long overdue”. State universities have been closed since the pandemic and are yet to resume full operations. The “Occupy Galle Face” movement, demanding the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, reached its ninth consecutive day yesterday (17). The rapidly expanding protest area now includes a people’s library, people’s university, people’s forum, and various other services and events throughout the day. The protestors continue the protest by staying overnight in tents erected throughout the area, and have named the area “GotaGoGama”. Many different organisations and unions have supported the people’s struggle at Galle Face Green over the week, including prominent religious and celebrity figures who were seen at the protest site. Although Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa invited those who are part of the “Occupy Galle Face” movement for discussions last week, the protest continues, demanding that the President resign. Protests demanding the resignation of the President have been a common sight islandwide over the past two months.


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