The Inter-University Students’ Federation (IUSF) and the Inter-University Bhikkhus’ Federation (IUBF), in the midst of tear gas fired by the Police, a court-ordered ban on entering the Galle Face Green, and heavy rain, held a protest in Colombo yesterday (16) demanding the release of IUSF Convenor Wasantha Mudalige, who is in remand custody under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act (PTA), and against the rising cost of living and unfair tax policies.
Meanwhile, the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court had yesterday issued an injunction order preventing protestors from entering the Galle Face Green in Colombo. The order had been issued by Colombo Fort Magistrate Thilina Gamage based on the request made by the Slave Island Police. However, the court order stated that the protestors will be allowed to carry out the protest that they had organised peacefully, without entering the Galle Face Green.
The IUSF and the IUBF had initially planned to commence the protest at 12 noon yesterday at the Lipton Roundabout in Town Hall. Accordingly, a large number of Police and Police Special Task Force (STF) officers with shields and batons were seen deployed around the area. Apart from the Police and STF officers, a mobile water-cannon vehicle and several other Police-owned vehicles were also parked nearby. However, the IUSF and the IUBF, as it had done on several previous occasions, changed their plan while the Police and STF officers waited for the protest to begin near the Lipton Roundabout.
The protestors representing the IUSF and the IUBF and a few other civil organisations had gathered near the United Nations (UN) Office at Bauddhaloka Mawatha in Colombo 7. They stayed at that place for some time and chanted slogans protesting the current Government led by President Ranil Wickremesinghe and former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and incumbent Government MP Mahinda Rajapaksa. They said that the Government should work to release all the activists, including Mudalige, who are currently in custody for joining the “aragalaya” (the people's struggle).
They protested for almost half an hour in front of the UN Office carrying placards which read “Release Mudalige”, “Stop the repression of the activists”, the “Aragalaya is not terrorism”, “Stop the privatisation of education”, “Lower electricity, gas and fuel prices”, “No medicines in hospitals – not in pharmacies either” and the “Government has no answers to the people's issues”.
The activists then proceeded towards Galle Road along Bauddhaloka Mawatha. The protestors who were holding placards reading “Release Mudalige” were seen walking towards the Galle Road while IUBF Convenor Ven. Galwewa Siridhamma Thera who was detained under the PTA along with Mudalige and then released, was seen leading the crowd. After entering the Galle Road, the protestors started moving towards the Galle Face Green in Colombo.
When they were proceeding towards the Kollupitiya area, there was no vehicular movement on that road. When the protestors were moving forward, a large number of Police officers including baton wielding STF and anti-riot unit officers had been deployed in the Kollupitiya area, entirely blocking the main road.
At that time, using a loudspeaker, a Police officer announced that under Section 95(1) of the Criminal Procedure Code, the Officer-in-Charge of the nearest Police station should be informed about any procession at least six hours in advance. The Police also announced that the protestors had violated Section 78(2) of the Police Ordinance by holding a demonstration without such notification. Therefore, the Police announced that they will consider all those participating in the protest as members of an illegal assembly.
When the relevant announcement was being made, the protestors were observed shouting and booing at the Police officers. After that, they stayed at the place and protested. At this time, the protestors were seen telling the Police officers to go to areas where drug trafficking is high, such as Mattakkuliya, and to take necessary measures to eliminate the drug menace instead of staying near a peaceful protest.
After a while, the Police fired tear gas at the protestors. The protestors who left the Galle Road at the time of the tear gas firing regrouped within a few minutes and restarted the protest. Protestors then gathered at Palm Grove Lane in Kollupitiya as the Police prepared to fire tear gas again. When they gathered in that Lane, a senior Police officer was seen instructing the other officers to fire tear gas towards them again.
The protestors then started moving towards the Colombo 7 area. They marched forward carrying a large banner and placards. Even after the tear gas firing, there was no apparent decrease in the number of activists participating in the protest. They marched forward along a road that fell from the area near the Nelum Pokuna Theatre and gathered near the University of the Visual and Performing Arts. At that time, the Police fired tear gas at them again, while there was also rainfall in the area. More than 300 Police, STF, and anti-riot unit officers and two water cannons had been deployed at the place. There was a heated argument between the protestors and members of the security forces.
Speaking to the media at that time, former Acting IUBF Convenor Ven. Udenigama Gunarathana Thera stated that the Wickremesinghe-led Government, which he claimed is currently highly disliked by the public, is suppressing the public including the student movements by deploying members of the security forces and other State institutions. However, he emphasised that the IUSF and the IUBF will continue their programme against the current Government without fearing any repressive programme until Mudalige is released and the kind of Government that the public expects is established.
Mudalige, who was in the custody of the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) under the PTA was produced before Colombo Additional Magistrate T.N.L. Mahawatte on 13 December 2022. He was then ordered to be further remanded until today (17). Both the Attorney General’s Department and the TID which appeared before the Court on 13 December requested that Mudalige be remanded further as the relevant investigations were still being carried out.
However, the Additional Magistrate raised concerns regarding the TID's failure to conclude the relevant investigations despite Mudalige's detention for several months and therefore ordered the conclusion of the investigations as soon as possible.