Journalists demonstrate over assaults

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 July 1999, 12:33 GMT]
A large number of journalists demonstrated in Colombo today, protesting against several of their colleges being assaulted last week, allegedly by personnel from the Presidential Security Division (PSD).

The journalists and media photographers were assaulted during a picketing organised by the main opposition party, the UNP on July 15.

The demonstrators burnt effigies of Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera and the head of the Presidential Security Division.

The demonstrators marched from Kollupitiya towards 'Temple Tress', the official residence of the President, to hand over a memorandum to the President.

However, they were stopped on the way by police who had barricaded all the roads leading to the Presidential Secretariat.

The police said the journalists could not be allow to march as suspected suicide bombers have entered the capital.

Later the memorandum was handed over to the Secretary to the President, outside the 'Temple Trees'.

Meanwhile the UNP has said that it has planned a demonstration for tomorrow against what it says is government sponsored violence.

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