Galle Face Attack – Nine Arrestees Released on Bail

Nine persons arrested during the raid carried out by Police and Army at the Galle face protest site early this morning, had been released on bail by the Colombo Fort Magistrate Court later this evening (July 22).

A Lawyer was also there among those bailed out by the court. Police and Army had arrested nine persons at the Protest site over the charges of being members of an illegal gathering in front of the President’s office.

Nearly 1000 Army and Police personnel had stormed into the Protesters who remained in front of the Presidential Secretariat at Galle face area in Colombo around 1:30 PM this morning and attacked and chased out the protesters from the area. This incident occurred at a time protesters had promised the authorities that they will withdraw from the Presidential secretariat by this evening as a temporary measure.

Due to this unexpected attack occurred in Galle face protest site,14 protesters were injured and admitted to the Colombo National Hospital. The Police and Army personal entered the protest site this morning and removed the protesters and captured the Presidential secretariat hours before the swearing in ceremony of 18 Cabinet Ministers and new Prime Minister before the newly elected President Ranil Wikramasinghe. Military had also removed the temporary huts erected at the protest site by protesters.

Lawyers and Human rights activists had condemned this attack on Protesters and members of the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission had recorded statements from the protesters this evening regarding the attack. Meanwhile after the attack protesters are now being gathered near the Bandaranayake Statue in Galle face area.

President Ranil Wikramaisnghe had imposed a state of emergency last week after being elected as the Acting President of Sri Lanka which gives military more powers to arrest and shoot anyone who will become a threat to the public security.