Galle Face Protesters Refused To Leave The Site In Colombo

The Protesters at the Galle Face Protest Site “Gota Go Gama” in Colombo had yesterday (August 06) challenged the law enforcement authorities to try to send them away if possible as they are not ready to leave the site.

According to the activists of the Protest site, the “Aragalaya” or the protest is being successful up to now as it manage to send the Executive President Gotabhya Rajpakshe home as well as all the Rajapakshe family members from positions including former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakshe, Finance Minister Basil Rajapakshe and Sports Minister Namal Rajapakshe as well as elder brother of the Rajapakshe family Chamal Rajapakshe from his Ministerial post.

The Galle face protesters held a massive protest march and a rally in Nugegoda (Colombo City) yesterday against the present government of President Ranil Wikramaisnghe and to the State of Emergency act, Anti Terrorism Act and abductions under the theme “The protest is not over – Will not turn away until it is successful”. Tens of thousands of people had joined this protest march and the rally held at the Ananda Samarakoon memorial open theatre in Nugegoda last evening which the organizers say a rehearsal for the massive anti-government protest they are planning to hold in Colombo this Tuesday (August 09).

Earlier Colombo Fort Police had issued several notices for the Galle face protesters last week to leave the protest site before 5 p.m. on last Friday (August 05). However only few groups at the protest site had left the site as a result whilst removing the tents they have put up there. The majority of the protesters located at the site refused to leave from there based on notices issued by the Police .

Few activists had filed three writ applications before the Court of Appeal last Thursday (August 04) seeking an interim order suspending the Police order directing protesters to vacate the Galle face protest site. As a result the Attorney General has given an undertaking to the Court of Appeal that no action outside legal procedures will be taken against the temporary structures at the “Gota go home” protest site at Galle face until 10th of August.