Anti-government demonstration in Colombo

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 August 2001, 09:45 GMT]
Thousands of demonstrators Thursday afternoon around 2 p.m. started marching towards Colombo Town Hall to attend a mass rally organised by the People's Alliance for Democracy, demanding President Chandrika Kumaratunge to reconvene the Parliament and cancel the proposed referendum for a new constitution.

The procession commenced from three places, Borella, Maradana and Thumulla junctions in the city of Colombo. Police riot squads were seen following the processions in vehicles.

Demonstrators were shouting slogans demanding the government to restore democracy by reconvening the parliament.

Leaders of the United National Party were seen leading the processions.

Meanwhile the mass protest rally of the People's Alliance for Democracy commenced around 4 p.m. Thursday evening at Colombo Town Hall. Tens of thousands of people are attending the rally.

Leaders of political parties, Mr.Rauff Hakeem, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, Mr.A.Vinayagamoorthy, President of the All Ceylon Tamil Congress, Mr.V.Anandasangaree, Senior Vice President of the Tamil United Liberation Front,Mr.Selvam Adaikalanathan, Leader of the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO), Mr.Champika Ranawake of Sinhala Urumaya are present at the venue of the meeting.