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Protestors from around SL to converge on Fort tomorrow

08 Jul 2022

  • Massive, multi-sectoral protest planned in final push for President’s resignation 
  • Colombo Magistrate’s Court rejects Police request for ban on entering President’s House vicinity 
  • Clergy, political parties, civil/professional organisations, trade unions, entertainers, and others to join
  • Final warning for Prez to resign to be declared at Dalada Maligawa vicinity
  • IGP calls for exercise of Constitutional rights of assembly responsibly 
  • Supportive protest marches held yesterday 
  • Sajith and Maithripala attend protest conference 
BY Buddhika Samaraweera and Dinitha Rathnayake Several parties, including interfaith clergy, political parties, civil and professional organisations, trade unions (TUs), and activists have expressed their support for the massive protest to be held in Colombo tomorrow (9) demanding President Gotabaya Rajapaksa resign, while the protest was greenlit by the judicial authorities after a court rejected a Police request yesterday (7) to ban protestors from entering the vicinity of the President’s house in Colombo Fort.  The Colombo Magistrate’s Court yesterday evening rejected a request made by the Colombo Fort Police Officer-In-Charge (OIC) to issue a restraining order preventing the protestors from entering the vicinity of the President’s house in Colombo Fort today (8) and tomorrow. However, Colombo Additional Magistrate Keminda Perera, when the request was taken up, told the Police that they (the Police) are authorised to take necessary action in the event of any unlawful activities. Following the court’s dismissal of the request made by the Police, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chandana D. Wickramaratne last evening made a special statement regarding the protests. He said: “The Police always respects the right to freedom of speech and expression as well as the freedom of peaceful assembly guaranteed by the Constitution and takes every possible step to protect and promote the rights of citizens.  “However, in exercising the rights granted by the Constitution, everyone has a responsibility to act in a way that protects the rights of others and does not interfere with them. It is emphasised that no police officer, who is obliged to protect the law of the country under the Constitution, can tolerate illegal actions that violate the existing laws, and acts that disrupt the peace and cause damages to public and private property, under the guise of the right to assembly and expression. Therefore, I request all public activists, political leaders and religious leaders to act responsibly in enjoying their fundamental rights." Tomorrow’s protest mainly demands the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and towards this end, various programmes were organised in several areas yesterday, in support of the protest. At one such programme, clergy including Buddhist monks and Catholic priests, representatives of civil organisations and the people had organised a protest march yesterday afternoon. They marched from Wattala to Colombo chanting slogans and carrying placards that read “Let's surround them today (7), let’s kick them out the day after tomorrow (9)”. Chief Prelate of the Ramanna Sect in Southern Sri Lanka Ven. Dr. Omalpe Sobhitha Thera, who participated in the said protest march, said that it is doubtful as to whether President Rajapaksa continues to remain in power, without listening to the voices of the clergy and the people, so as to pave the way for a certain foreign power to invade Sri Lanka.  “Gotabaya Rajapaksa, why are you staying in power without listening to the people and the clergy? It is a serious problem for us. The poverty of the people is increasing more and more. In the midst of that, are you trying to make this country a victim of another country’s invasion? We ask Rajapaksa, are you, who are still shamelessly in power amidst so much public opposition, trying to pave the way for such an invasion? You should immediately bow down to the public opinion and resign from office,” he said.  Saying that school children are currently deprived of education and the people are facing difficulties as never before, the monk mentioned that the current situation in the country was not caused by a natural disaster like a flood, drought, or epidemic, but that instead, 20.2 million Sri Lankans have had to suffer immensely today due to a “robbery” committed by “a gang of thieves” after gaining control of the country.  “Now, we are clear about the past, and we are clear about the present, so we must work together to recover from this disaster in the future. First of all, we must understand that we have been robbed by a rogue group. We have launched this struggle to demand that the rulers go home. Everyone should get together as one and continue this struggle. Let's fight until we win," he further said. The monk also mentioned that the final announcement forcing Rajapaksa to resign would be issued today near the Monarawila Keppetipola monument in front of the Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy as the “Senkadagalapura Declaration” with the blessings of the Chief Prelates (Mahanayakas) of the three Buddhist Sects, and the participation of the clergy. He said that the said declaration would be the last warning to the “thieves”, including Rajapaksa. Meanwhile, expressing support for tomorrow’s protest, and protesting against the President, the National Bhikkhu (Monks) Front started a satyagraha protest campaign yesterday in Colombo Fort. Nearly 300 Buddhist monks are taking part in it, and they launched the satyagraha in front of the Bo tree on Olcott Mawatha, near the Colombo Fort Railway Station. However, the Colombo Fort Police had obtained a Court order against the aforesaid protest demonstration. The Police stated that the Colombo Magistrate’s Court had issued an order preventing a group of Buddhist monks and other clergy from entering Olcott Mawatha and obstructing or inconveniencing the public by gathering at any other place in the vicinity of Pettah. The order had been issued against “Surakimu (protect) Sri Lanka” national movement Convener Ven. Pahiyangala Ananda Sagara Thera, Teachers-Principals Trade Union Federation President Ven. Ulapane Sumangala Thera, “Bhumi Mathru Manusath Padanama’ Founder Ven. Kalubowila Paduma Thera, and other people participating in the protest. Furthermore, another group of Buddhist monks engaged in a protest march yesterday afternoon in the Ambalantota area. They had organised the march in protest against the current regime and in support of tomorrow’s protest. Also, commenting on the protests to be held tomorrow, a spokesman for the Catholic Church told The Morning that Catholic priests and nuns from different parts of the island would support this protest. However, he requested the people to hold this protest without allowing any destructive situation to occur. He also said that the President, who is highly disliked by the people, should resign immediately without further aggravating the people. Speaking during a protest held in Colombo yesterday, a Muslim moulavi stated that due to the short-sightedness of the current rulers, Sri Lanka is now in a state of being treated in an intensive care unit. Therefore, he emphasised that it is very important for all the people to come together without any discrimination to get Sri Lanka out of that situation. The Federation of University Teachers Associations (FUTA) also came from the Nugegoda Junction to the Colombo Public Library on a bicycle ride yesterday in support of tomorrow’s protests. They stopped at every filling station on both sides of the road leading from Nugegoda to the Colombo Public Library and protested against the President and the Government. After that, they had organised a special conference in the Public Library auditorium to raise awareness about the current situation. Representatives of political parties and civil organisations participated in it. Social activist and YouTuber Rathindu Senaratne alias “Ratta”, who is a member of the “GotaGoGama” protest site in front of the Presidential Secretariat at the Galle Face Green, speaking to The Morning said that Colombo Fort would be the main point of the protest and urged the people from the Western Province to participate peacefully in the protest. Noting that the people may find it difficult to come to Colombo given the prevailing fuel shortages and the lack of transportation facilities, he said that they can however participate in the protests organised by regional “GotaGoGama” branches. Furthermore, College of Medical Laboratory Science President Ravi Kumudesh pointed out that there would be no solution to this crisis without a struggle. “We started our campaign from Wattala yesterday to come towards the Galle Face Green, which is our final destination. We urge everyone to spare one day for this struggle, as if not, you might have to suffer for all the years to come,” he said. Lawyers of Colombo have also urged citizens and lawyers to unite for the protest. Speaking at a media briefing, Upul Jayasuriya PC said that the fight against corruption is being waged on behalf of citizens who are suffering at present. Emphasising that acts of corruption should be brought to an end, he invited citizens including lawyers and professionals to join the protest. Moreover, Sarath Jayamanne PC said: “When this Government and the President came to power, they promised that justice would prevail and that there would only be one law in the country. However, the protesters who were arrested during the recent incidents that took place in MIrihana are still in custody and no one knows what is happening to them. If the Government is trying to stop peaceful protests in this manner, it would end up with international ridicule and the loss of confidence in democracy.” The Collective of the Families of the Disappeared has also expressed its support for the protests to be held tomorrow and Collective of the Families of the Disappeared President Brito Fernando said that the “GotaGoHome” struggle has achieved much of what they, as civil society organisations, have been fighting for, for a long period of time.  He said: “The need to send Rajapaksa home has become a top priority due to the worsening situation of the economy, the rising political turmoil and the growing civil unrest. It is our observation that the members of the struggle and many others who are working against the current regime have contributed substantially, which, however, is not effective enough to remove the rulers altogether from power. There are people, who, despite their willingness to join the struggle, are nevertheless kept back by the selfish politicians creating divisions on the basis of race, caste and creed. We request that you bring together all such forces into this resistance movement in order to advance the people’s struggle.” Meanwhile, the “Sarvapakshika (All-Party) Aragalakaruwo” civil organisation that supports the “GotaGoGama” had organised a conference in Colombo yesterday. Several Opposition political parties, civil organisations, trade unions, and the general public, including protestors at the Galle Face Green, participated in the conference, which was held with the aim of obtaining the support of society at large, including Opposition political parties, for the public protest to be held tomorrow. Several Opposition politicians including Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, Sri Lanka Freedom Party Chairman and Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP)-elected “independent” MP Maithripala Sirisena, Tamil Progressive Alliance Leader and SJB MP Mano Ganesan, SJB MP Tissa Attanayake, and SLPP-elected “independent” MP Dayasiri Jayasekera, participated in the said conference.  


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