Police cleared IUSF protest with new tactics

Anti-government protest organized by the Inter University Students Federation (IUSF) today in Colombo saw police adopting new tactics towards handling protests as the government came under severe international criticism of launching crackdown on protests in recent weeks. 
 
First, it was the major protest organized by the influential  IUSF commonly known as “Aanthare” which consist of vibrant university student network after the “Go Gota Gama’ protest site in Galle Face Green was vacated by anti- government protesters after four months of occupying the area near Presidential Secretariat. 
 
A few hundreds of protesters initially gathered at Ward place and marched towards Fort as the final destination but the Police had other surprices for the protesters. 
 
When they reached JAIC Hilton, a massive number of police personnel- almost outnumbering the protesters were marching on the opposite site towards protesters. 
 
Taken aback by the large number of police personnel coming towards them, some of those who were leading protest felt they are being surrounded by outnumbered police and started to run. Protesters followed suit and started to disperse and some ran away from the scene in motorbikes and vehicles. 
 
One of them who escaped was the IUSF leader Wasantha Mudalige who was seen escaping from the scene in a motorbike but the police gave him a chase and arrested him near Gas works street, Pettah.
 
Police said he was arrested over a pending arrest warrant that was issued weeks ago for illegal assembly and violation of court order. He is yet to be produced before the Courts along with six other protesters who were arrested at Union place. 
 
Police also used excessive force like water cannons or tear gas to disperse the protesters but simply outnumbered the protesters and cornered them to clear the site within hours. (Pix by Akila Jayawardena)