The national organizer of the Samagi Vanitha Balavegaya (SVB), Hirunika Premachandra, and 14 others who were arrested over a protest in Colombo yesterday have been released on bail.
The group was released on a personal bail of Rs. 500,000 each by the Colombo Magistrate’s Court today.
They were arrested for participating in a demonstration that was held to call for an end to 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 during the protest yesterday, 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 to highlight incidents of violence against women in Sri Lanka.
She said, however, the Police had blocked their protest march, which commenced from Independence Square, near the President’s private residence in Colombo 07.
The Police had also arrested two of the demonstrators, which had resulted in the remaining protesters launching a fresh protest in front of the Cinnamon Gardens Police, calling on all the protesters to be arrested together.
Thereafter, the Police arrested Hirunika Premachandra and 14 other protesters. (NewsWire)