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Protecting the ‘aragalaya’ from inane vandalism 

13 Jul 2022

Within a matter of hours, three key buildings of national importance – the official residences of the Prime Minister (the Temple Trees) and of the President (the President’s House), and the Presidential Secretariat – were occupied by anti-Government protestors, and they are ready to stay there until President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe officially resign, and perhaps until a new Government under a President and a Prime Minister acceptable to the people is established. The occupation of these buildings is seen by many as a symbol of what the people achieved on 9 July – securing the resignations of the two leaders.  The three buildings, which are public property, were not freely accessible to the public so far, but are now as easily accessible as any other public place, and a large number of people could be seen visiting and enjoying Presidential luxuries after 9 July. However, even though it is understandable that ordinary citizens want to visit these places, there are risks that should not be underestimated. Yesterday (12), it was reported that a Police Sergeant was remanded for attempting to enter the President’s official residence in Colombo Fort with a knife. While an investigation is underway with regard to the incident, the reason for his carrying a knife remains unknown. Meanwhile, another person was handed over to the Police by protestors at the Temple Trees, for being in possession of a knife and for behaving in a suspicious manner in the premises. What is more, it was reported yesterday that a clash between two groups of protestors at the Temple Trees resulted in over eight persons being hospitalised. While the stories behind these incidents are yet to be revealed, in a context where anti-Government protests have been targeted by various parties since the beginning, protestors, who are now in control of some of the most important buildings of the country, have to be cautious about their safety and be observant about the behaviour of those present at those venues.  Since the beginning of the anti-Government protests, the manner in which the Government led by the Rajapaksa brothers dealt with the protests was hardly fair or lawful. In addition to legal but unfair steps, such as seeking court orders and declaring curfew to deter peaceful protests, various anti-protest activities suggested that the Government and/or the law enforcement and defense authorities employed unlawful methods to deter protests. They first emerged during the anti-Government/anti-President protest near the President’s private residence in Mirihana, where an unidentified person set fire to a bus owned by the defense forces, giving the Government a reason to label the protest as an extremist act that calls for stringent measures against the protest. Thereafter, a large number of unofficial reports claimed that various groups – including Police and defense forces personnel, intelligence units, and various pro-Government groups – during protests in Colombo, especially at the “GotaGoGama” at the Galle Face, and in other parts of the country, were among the protestors, pretending to be ordinary citizens with the intention of gathering information and trying to sabotage the protests by inciting unrest. There were many occasions on which the protestors encountered suspicious individuals during the protests, some of whom admitted, when confronted, that they were police officers. In addition, a number of protestors have alleged that they were followed and threatened by unknown individuals. All this happened in a context where the Police and defense forces personnel freely used excessive force against, and unlawfully arrested, protestors. There were also countless reports of harassment against protestors by unidentified individuals. The :aragalaya” (struggle) is not over yet, and the necessity of protecting the protests and the protestors still remains. At the same time, the protestors have a responsibility to be extremely vigilant, in order to ensure that groups aiming to sabotage protests and harm protestors do not get the opportunity to do so. Most importantly, they have a responsibility to protect the residences of the President and of the Prime Minister, and the Presidential Secretariat, because allowing any damage to happen to these buildings or the protestors occupying them would tarnish the reputation of the “aragalaya” and would give the authorities an excuse to unnecessarily obstruct protests. Another reason to take this responsibility seriously is the fact that these buildings are public properties of national and historical value, meaning they belong to all of us, and need to be preserved if the cause is truly in the public’s best interest.  


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