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People’s protests: Some observations 

15 May 2022

By Sajini Fernando  The past few days and the uncertainty of it all has not been easy for any of us to process. On 9 May 2022, the Rajapaksa-led Government did what they have always been known to do – create and facilitate the creation of division, and unleash violence on the people to remain in power. Supporters and thugs of the ruling party descended on MainaGoGama and attacked the peaceful protestors, including women, members of the clergy, and persons with disabilities. Emboldened by the fiery speeches delivered at the Temple Trees earlier that day during a meeting with the former Prime Minister, and having wreaked havoc at the MainaGoGama, these supporters marched confidently towards GotaGoGama where they destroyed and set fire to encampments, structures and signs, and assaulted peaceful protestors.  Thousands were able to witness this carnage live, as people on the ground were reporting and documenting the horrific sequence of events as it unfolded. The country was able to witness this State-sponsored violence and the feeble and futile attempts of the Police to disperse these crowds, in real-time. Civic consciousness, technology, and social media have made it impossible for the instigators and enablers to deny and subvert the truth, which was a luxury that was unknown to the thousands that had to suffer at the hands of the State in the past.  An islandwide curfew was imposed almost immediately against the backdrop of the State of Emergency, but the members of the general public stepped out in droves to condemn this attack in defiance of this curfew. However, as the former Prime Minister predicted in his tweet, what followed was violence and a deadly night of unrest, as supporters of the ruling party who had been instrumental in attacking the peaceful protestors were assaulted or thrown into the Beira Lake; many buses allegedly carrying these supporters were attacked; houses, offices, commercial establishments and vehicles of politicians and the allies of the ruling family were torched – all in a matter of hours.  While it is assumed that many of these incidents were caused by people who were genuinely angered by the inhumane attacks on peaceful protestors, it is also speculated that a larger portion of the violent and retaliatory attacks seemed coordinated and organised as part of a larger political conspiracy to erode the moral legitimacy of the peaceful and nonviolent protests.  Division, hostility, and violence are not new to Sri Lanka. Politicians, their allies and the security forces condoning and unleashing violence and acting with absolute impunity is not new to the people of Sri Lanka (at least, not new to the thousands, particularly the minorities who have been terrorised by the State at different points in history). But, now more than ever, (we would like to believe and hope that) an opportunity has presented itself for an honest evaluation of our histories, the inequalities in society and the divisive and deceitful narratives that have been peddled by our politicians, through active citizen participation in politics.  By mid March 2022, calls for the President’s resignation had increased over the massive economic downturn and foreign exchange crisis brought about by the mishandling of the economy by the Government. Demonstrations in Mirihana began on 31 March in response to the extended power cuts, the rising cost of living and the acute shortages of essential items including food, medicine, and fuel.  The criticism of and opposition to the Government’s policies and attempts to suppress peaceful protests intensified especially on social media, prompting the Government to impose a social media ban on 3 April that lasted less than a day. By that time, it was evident that a new culture of dissent was in the works, and it was through this commitment and creativity that GotaGoGama was born on the very land that was demarcated and satirically named as the Agitation Site by the Government in early 2020.  Anyone who goes to GotaGoGama would witness people from all walks of life, irrespective of age, gender, ethnicity, religion, and occupation coming together to express their various demands and ask for accountability, in a nonviolent and non-partisan manner. It is an attempt to create an inclusive space for dialogue with the use of innovative tools of protest. GotaGoGama which started a little over a month ago at Galle Face continues to draw support from all corners, with branches being set up in major cities, demonstrations being held by unions, professional bodies and political parties in solidarity, and even protests being held overseas.  Even after being repeatedly reminded of what befell the youth during the insurrections, even after the violence instigated by the State, the protests remained overwhelmingly peaceful. So, what makes these people’s protests a movement, and more importantly, a moment in our history that requires critical reflection of what we demand, whom we listen to, our approaches, and the tools we use to protest?  In a country where the masses engage in politics only during an election, where you hardly hear ordinary citizens utter words like rights, freedom, accountability, and justice, the people’s protests have, to a certain extent, given rise to a civic consciousness (and we hope this attitudinal change is here to stay). The demand for answers, relief, and change echoes in the gas queues, the petrol sheds, the hospital wards, the marketplaces, and in our own homes. People who may have otherwise turned a blind eye are exercising their right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, and are easily moved (and angered) when they hear of arbitrary arrests (eg. the activists arrested near Diyatha) and the excessive and indiscriminate use of force by security forces (eg. shooting in Rambukkana and the Police using tear gas near the Parliament at HoruGoGama).  Although the message is simple and clear – Go Home, and we are asking for the ruling family and their allies to be held accountable for the corruption and mishandling of the economy, which I believe is the most urgent issue at hand, this is a moment to reflect on and acknowledge the truth about what the State is capable of doing in the face of dissent, to unlearn and unpack what we have been taught all these years, and to recognise the need to hold the State and our politicians accountable for the many atrocities committed against the citizenry over the years.  For instance, we celebrated Mother’s Day recently and social media users were quick to acknowledge the role played by mothers in these protests with pictures of mothers making their demands while standing in queues or carrying their children at protests. Shouldn’t we also then reflect on why so many of us remain completely indifferent to the continuous demands of the mothers and wives of those who were forcibly disappeared during and after the insurrections and the war?   For years, we have been lobbying for greater female representation in politics and participation in the political space. The people’s protests across the country have become spaces for women to express themselves – women, who would have otherwise been confined to their homes because of their household responsibilities or the patriarchal perceptions of their families or communities that believe that speaking up about politics should be left to the men. You may recall social media posts about discovering condoms at the Agitation Site, and various groups urging parents to keep their daughters home to ensure that they remain ‘pure.’  We may all know someone who was afraid to go to a protest because they didn’t want to be visible; because they were not accompanied by a male relative or friend for safety reasons; or because it was not safe to be out on the streets after 5 p.m. Women are not only defying biases and breaking these stereotypes by participating, but are actively leading this struggle. When I go to GotaGoGama, I feel safe, even at night, even in the midst of such large crowds, and I am able to freely express my opinions. (Note: This is not to say that everyone’s experience has been the same.)  However, at the time of writing this article, I saw some disturbing posts circulating on social media about how the daughters-in-law of the former Prime Minister should not be killed, but be considered public property, and how female supporters of the ruling party should be assaulted and raped for the political views they hold. Although the catcalling, sexual harassment and objectification that we women are so used to is not condoned in the GotaGoGama space, I wonder whether this is a false sense of security confined to this space, when I see what people choose to publicly share on social media platforms, under the guise of supporting those who peacefully oppose the ruling party and the corrupt system.  The people’s protests are a part of a movement to dismantle a corrupt system and bring about change, not only in our political system, but also in our way of thinking. GotaGoGama has more or less become what we want our society to resemble. While we fight these big economic and political issues, let us also not forget the other important conversations we must have – the conversations about political participation, accountability, transitional justice and gender – if we want to make this space even more inclusive, more equal, and more accommodating to ideas, people and communities we have conveniently ignored or disregarded for a very long time, because after all, what is unity if it is incapable of acknowledging and respecting diversity in every sense of the word?  (The writer is an Attorney-at-Law.)  


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