The Sri Lankan police violently dispersed a whole lot of demonstrators a day after severely curbing protest rights in response to months of unrest sparked by the island nation’s sharp financial downturn.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe has taken a tricky line in opposition to activists who pressured his predecessor to flee the nation and resign in July on the peak of the nation’s disaster.
Officers in anti-riot gear blocked the scholar march hours after the federal government declared the town centre a “excessive safety zone”, outlawing protests within the neighborhood.
Police fired tear gasoline and water cannon on Saturday to filter out the demonstrators, who have been demanding the discharge of fellow activists detained below anti-terrorism legal guidelines.
Witnesses noticed police detain dozens of individuals.
Wickremesinghe on Friday ordered a ban on all demonstrations and protests close to key establishments, together with his workplace and the houses of the navy prime brass.
Sri Lanka’s influential bar affiliation condemned the ban and stated it significantly undermined freedom of expression and meeting.