 The statement came after a large military group, along with the police, launched a raid on Friday near the Presidential Secretariat and the protest site at Galle Face to clear the area of protesters…reports Asian Lite News
Calling the actions of Sri Lankan authorities against the peaceful protesters at Galle Face as “brutal and torture”, the agitators condemned the act and said that they will continue the protests, even if they are attacked.
Addressing a press conference, one of the protesters said, “We just want to condemn this brutal attack on the very peaceful creative protesters. We have been protesting for more than 105 days.”
The statement came after a large military group, along with the police, launched a raid on Friday near the Presidential Secretariat and the protest site at Galle Face to clear the area of protesters. Several arrests were made.
The protester said that they were attacked “brutally” on July 22 and called it “torture”. He further added that he had witnessed police attacking the protesters with their weapons and said that it was an assault on them.
“And we can’t understand this, as it is inhuman because we are peaceful protesters, non-violent protesters. So we condemn this kind of brutal attack on peaceful protesters. We have been doing this as a protest of love in order to change society, in order to have justice. And we will continue this peaceful non-violent protest,” he added.
Meanwhile, another protester said that the attack on them on July 22 was to show Ranil Wickremesinghe’s power and he is the one who is in charge. He further said that the protesters were removed from the site but after 8 hours they again headed towards the premises.
Over the police’ statement on the attack, a protester said that in the conference police personnel showed the isolated incidents, justifying their action and said, “we did because of that”. He further added that if they did that then the police should have acted at that very moment.
“Under no circumstances, we have incited the violence. But this is not the first time they incited violence against us,” he added.
“This is the democracy that Ranil was talking to the world. He talks as if he is the saviour of democracy but clearly he doesn’t want democracy. So we would like to inform Ranil and the state that if this is the way you gonna show us that democracy works, well we are ready for this too. If losing our life means saving this country, then all of us are ready for this,” the protester said.
Another protester, who was also part of that conference, said that the attack on July 22 was staged and the police force has to take the responsibility for that. She further said, “But we know that the main responsible person for this attack is Ranil Wickremesinghe, we should call him Ranil Rajapaksa.” (ANI)