Thursday Dec 12, 2024
Thursday Dec 12, 2024
Friday, 11 January 2013 00:26 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Dharisha Bastians
Protests and violent counter protests shook Hulftsdorp Hill, where the Lawyers’ Collective was joined by the main Opposition United National Party and the JVP to begin a march towards Parliament in protest of the impeachment debate and vote against Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake yesterday.
 |
| Lawyers, members of Opposition political parties, civil rights groups, and trade union activists attempt to remove Police barriers during a protest against the impeachment of Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayke in Colombo yesterday – Reuters/Dinuka Liyanawatte |
Massive traffic congestion was reported around the Maradana and Pettah areas well past midday yesterday due to the demonstrations and blockades.
Thousands of lawyers protesting against the impeachment were prevented from marching on towards Parliament yesterday after a group of counter protestors, Police, and STF personnel hampered their movement.
After moving at snail’s pace towards D.R. Wijewardane Mawatha, the Lawyers’ Collective finally decided to disperse and not proceed to Parliament, due to the massive Police blockades.
However, the pro-impeachment protestors were permitted to proceed up to Parliament in Battaramulla, causing further traffic blocks along the way.
A heavy presence of Police anti riot squads and hundreds of STF personnel were used to prevent the march. The situation became tense when a group of pro-impeachment protestors ran towards groups of lawyers and Opposition supporters brandishing poles and other implements.
Several photojournalists and camera crew were threatened by the pole-wielding groups that congregated near the statue of late President Ranasinghe Premadasa and tried to block the way of crowds moving towards the lawyers’ protest.
Lawyers and activists Vishaka Tillekaratne and Sujatha Gamage wrote eye-witness accounts for the website Colombo Telegraph saying that the pole-wielding pro-impeachment protestors brandished implements and used abusive language to try and prevent them from reaching the Lawyers’ Collective protest. Their reports said that the Police had stood nearby while the crowd to threaten and intimidate them but did not attempt to intervene.
With some 14,000 lawyers of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka striking work, leaving courtrooms across the country deserted, thousands of lawyers, Opposition supporters, and civil society representatives congregated at Hulftsdorp to join the People’s March organised by the Lawyers’ Collective, which is leading the agitation against the impeachment.
The Government yesterday began debating the impeachment motion against Chief Justice Bandaranayake despite two rulings by the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal declaring the process illegal and unconstitutional.
Speaking at the protest, senior constitutional lawyer and activist J.C. Weliamuna said that as of 10 January, Sri Lanka’s Government was an unconstitutional one that no longer regarded the dictates of the courts of law and the Constitution.
“This impeachment is illegal and unconstitutional. The Government has decided to ignore the Court ruling on this so today this is no longer a constitutional democracy,” Weliamuna said.
UPFA Colombo Municipal Councillor Mahinda Kahandagamage was among the pro-impeachment protestors and said that the Chief Justice was guilty and needed to quit office.
