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Galle Face protestors worried about another attack

25 Jul 2022

  • Claim reports circulating of planned attack today
  • Allege military not letting reinforcements into protest zone
  • Police say they acted with restraint for months
By Dinitha Rathnayake  Protestors based at the Galle Face protest zone have warned about the possibility of another attack today (25), similar to the one that took place in the early hours of last Friday (22), and have claimed that the military is preventing them from taking supplies to reinforce the protest site. Speaking to The Morning yesterday (24) Fr. Amila Jeewantha Pieris, an activist priest actively involved at the Galle Face protest site in Colombo, said that there is news being circulated that another attack on the protest site is at hand. “There are reports that there is going to be another attack today or tomorrow,” he said. Meanwhile, the protestors are taking legal action against the assault by the forces that took place last Friday, and lodging a complaint with the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka today (25).  Fr. Pieris also told The Morning that the military is preventing protestors from re-establishing the protest site. “At the moment we are re-organising and restructuring our protest and protest site. Most of the tents were damaged by the attack and raid, jointly launched by the Army, the Police, and the Special Task Force (STF). But the protestors were not allowed to take further materials for the tents, and they were intimidated by the military at the entrances of the Galle Face protest site.” A tense situation was reported in the early hours of last Friday (22) as armed forces personnel stormed the protest site at the Galle Face Green to clear the Presidential Secretariat and its main entrance of demonstrators. Several protesters were attacked by the forces. Speaking to The Morning a witness said that he was assaulted around 1.30 a.m. by the forces. “It was early morning when the armed troops came and attacked us. I was just next to the President’s Secretariat. They beat all of us, including women and children,” he said. There have been several protests held at Galle Face since last Friday. Meanwhile, speaking at a special press briefing last Saturday (23), Police Media Spokesman, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), and Attorney-at-Law (AAL) Nihal Thalduwa said that the Police had been operating with restraint in the past couple of months, allowing the people to engage in peaceful protests. Displaying several videos circulated on social media, where police officers’ duties were apparently obstructed by the protestors, the Spokesman said that the Police are engaged in maintaining peace and the rule of law, and anyone who obstructs that duty is not upholding the law. The press briefing was held to address the crackdown on the “GotaGoGama” protest site, in the early hours of last Friday. He added that the removal of tents and structures within a 50 m radius of the S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike statue at Galle Face was conducted because protecting State property and the statue of a significant personality in Sri Lankan history is the duty of the Police. The Spokesman further stated that the protestors had acted aggressively on previous occasions when the Police had requested them to vacate State buildings, and this had led to the Police not being able to trust the words and promises of the protestors. SSP Thalduwa also emphasised that nobody would be allowed to undermine and humiliate the Police, tri-forces, and the rule of law in the future. Mentioning that the citizens’ respect for the rule of law has lessened as a result, the Police Spokesperson said that the Police did not take any steps to disrupt the ongoing protests at Galle Face at that time, despite the disturbances caused due to loud noises and bright lights. However, as the protests progressed, it became almost impossible for police officers to even carry out their duties at the protest sites, the Spokesperson said. He said that due to this, the respect for Police as a whole has lessened. “This does not pave way for the good progression of society if there is no respect for the rule of law and its enforcers,” he added. Meanwhile, the Fort Police has requested the Archeology Department to provide a full report on the damage incurred to the archaeological monuments of the President’s Office, which was occupied by protestors.


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