A brutal attack by the police on the massive protest in Colombo

The Police fired tear gas and water cannons on a massive protest staged by the National People’s Power (NPP) in Colombo last evening. more than 30 protesters were hospitalized with injuries. This was the massive wave of people after the People’s struggle which chased away former President Gotabaya, to show people’s displeasure and protest against the existing government of Wickremasinghe.

NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake, emphasized that they would win the battle to obtain the Local government election by hook or by crook for the betterment of the people.

He told at the protest rally at Lipton Circus in Colombo last evening, 26 February hat their battle to force the government to hold the LG polls could not be turned back by firing tear gas or water cannons.

Hundreds of Police and the military were deployed to prevent the protesters from heading toward Fort and the Presidential Secretariat.

The court order was issued against 26 leaders including the NPP Leader MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake from marching towards Galle Face through several roads in Colombo and entering areas around the President’s Office, President House, and the Finance Ministry premises from 01 pm – 08 pm on Sunday (26).

The protestors disregarding a court order tried to march towards Colombo Fort by marching through the Ibbanwala Junction from the Town Hall area of Colombo and the police intervened to prevent the march.

Thousands took to the streets and staged a protest march against the Government. The Police obstructed the march at Town Hall and demanded that the protesters disperse.

But the NPP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake led the march and was engaged in a heated exchange with the Police. The Police later fired tear gas and water cannons in an attempt to disperse the protesters.

However, the protesters returned and clashed with the Police once again.

Anura kumara Dissanayake was among those seen been tear gassed during the incident.

The police blocked several roads near the National Hospital, Pittala Junction, Union Place, Kollupitiya and many other roads in the Fort area to prevent the protest march from proceeding towards Fort.

At the end, the protesters gathered at Lipton Circus and held a rally and there were heavy police and a military presence on the streets near the rally.

As the crackdown on the protestors increased, the slogan as ‘Ranila Pissek, Pissek’ – ‘Ranil is a mad man, mad man’ was also heard.

Several local JVP leaders as well as some candidates who are expecting to contest in the LGP told Mojo News, that Ranil Wickramasinghe has not yet learned a lesson from the massive people’s struggle to drive out Gotabhaya.

“To whom is he targeting such a trivial suppression? He will have to experience the results of this very soon.” they said.

“He has the money to deploy so many police and army battalions for our protest, to use tear gas and water cannons on us, but he has no money to buy a pill of medicine for the innocent people of our country. No food or drink.” a woman candidate of Mojo News.

More than 30 protestors were admitted to the National Hospital due to the police water and tear gas attacks and the resulting panic. The hospital sources said that the people without serious conditions have gone home after receiving treatment, by now.