Tense situation reported after several protesting SJB women activists arrested

November 14, 2022 at 12:55 PM

A tense situation was reported in Colombo today after several female activists of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) were arrested during a protest. 

Members of the Samagi Vanitha Balawegaya headed by former Parliamentarian Hirunika Premachandra had held a protest march from the Independence Square to the UN Office in Colombo and were blocked by the Police ahead of President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s private residence in Colombo. 

The Samagi Vanitha Balawegaya engaged in the demonstration calling to end violence against women in view of “the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women” which is commemorated in November.

Speaking to the media, former MP Hirunika Premachandra said that a stage play-based demonstration had been organized to be conducted in front of the UN Office in Colombo today to highlight incidents of violence against women in Sri Lanka. 

She said, however, the Police had blocked their protest march near the President’s private residence in Colombo 07 and had arrested two of the demonstrators, which had resulted in a tense situation.

Following the arrest of two of the demonstrators, the remaining protesters launched a fresh protest in front of the Cinnamon Gardens Police, calling on all the protesters to be arrested together. (NewsWire)