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Army says Galle Fort protest disrupted to make sure batsmen not distracted

01 Jul 2022

  • Claim protestors were asked to remove banners as batsman’s vision was being disturbed
  • BASL asks Army/Police to not stifle peaceful protests 
  BY Dinitha Rathnayake    Officers of the Sri Lanka Army had disrupted protests demanding the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa atop Galle Fort, citing visibility issues faced by batsmen in the ongoing Test cricket match between Sri Lanka and Australia, stated Army Spokesman, Brigadier Nilantha Premaratne to The Morning yesterday (30). Social media videos showed the military disrupting the protesters and removing the banners they were holding calling for the President to resign. Army Spokesman Brigadier Nilantha Premaratne said however that the protesters were not removed from the site but that the protest was interrupted due to the disturbance of the batsmen’s vision.  “The protestors were using banners that disturbed the batsmen'’s vision, so they were asked to remove them from the site. This incident took place on Wednesday (29 June) and yesterday (30 June). Also, people were advised not to stay in that place.” Traditionally, cricket spectators are prohibited from walking behind the bowler during an over, as it disturbs the batsman. However, since a match is played from both ends of the pitch in alternating overs, there is no prohibition on spectators walking behind the batsman during an over. It is not clear if the Army instructed the protestors to hold up the placards in alternating overs before removing the banners altogether. Meanwhile, in response to the incident, the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) reiterated that peaceful rallies and dissent should not be controlled by the use of the military and the Police. “The Police and the Army had disrupted a peaceful protest at the Galle Fort. Yesterday, the BASL wrote to the Army Commander and the IGP on this matter. We reminded the Army Commander and the IGP of the wisdom of the judgment of the Supreme Court in the Jana Ghosha case (Amaratunga vs. Sirimal and Others). It is prudent for the authorities including the Army Commander and the IGP to remember these words from the Jana Ghosha case: ‘Stifling the peaceful expression of legitimate dissent today can only result, inexorably, in the catastrophic explosion of violence some other day’,” BASL President Saliya Pieris PC added in a statement issued yesterday (30). Meanwhile, the world’s leading cricket website ESPNCricInfo reported that Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) had instructed the game's broadcasters not to show images of any protests during Australia’s ongoing tour of Sri Lanka. Some Australian and international media, however, have reported the wider context in which this series is occurring. It also noted that SLC has essentially banned protests inside its grounds this series, preventing spectators from bringing anti-government placards and banners into its venues, although posters thanking Australia for touring were allowed.


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