Protesters vow to stay at Galle Face despite police warnings

A section of the protesters have temporarily decided to not leave the Galle Face, despite Police warnings.
 
Addressing a  press conference today, a group of protesters said they would continue until a victory of the people is achieved and therefore will continue to remain in the Galle Face. 
 
However, depending on the judicial proceedings, the protesters will meet in the form of Committees and take a common decision, they said. Inter-University Student Federation, Terence Roderigo and actress Damitha Abeyratne were among those who addressed the press.
 
They also announced their plans to hold a protest march on Saturday and meet at the  Nugegoda Ananda Samarakoon Centre at 3 PM, where they would announce seven slogans. 
 
The protest would be held with the participation of parties, protesters, cultural organizations and trade unions. The protesters were highly critical of President Ranil Wickramasinghe’s speech in Parliament on August 3 and his appointment. 
 
Persistently referring to the President as “Ranil Rajapaksha” the protesters criticized the President’s separation of the Aragalaya into peaceful protesters and terrorists. Emphasizing flaws in the President’s definition of terrorists, they mentioned that protesters are not terrorists and demanded the immediate release of the imprisoned protesters. 
  
Further, they asked if the Public Property Act does not concern politicians who destroyed the property of the Parliament during the Constitutional Crisis, probing whether politicians are unaffected by the law. 
 
Condemning the appointment of the President as having “become President through the holes of the Constitution”, they said that the people have not accepted him as President. 
 
The actress, Damitha Abeyratne, who was also present at the press conference stated that the President has been appointed solely due to the protests. She also states that it was not the Army that attacked the protesters on July 22, but security firms that support the politicians instead. 
 
“You are great if you can provide forgiveness”, she said, addressing the President, but that they are not begging the President for it. 
 
The Representative of Inter University Student Federation, Terence Roderigo, told the President to bully Mahinda Rajapaksha and other politicians, rather than the public.
 
Meanwhile, a writ application has been filed in courts seeking an order preventing enforcing a police order to clear the tents at Galle Face. About 10 of the tents were removed today while about 50 of them still remain in the area. 
 
The police on Wednesday issued a statement and warned protesters that the deadline to withdraw the tents will be Friday 5.00 p.m.
 
(BY Senuka Jayakody)