By Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana and Kamanthi Wickramasinghe   

The protestors at the mass agitation site ‘GotaGoGama’ yesterday questioned whether the former Minister Johnston Fernando is ‘a needle in a haystack,’ that is so difficult for the police to find and arrest regarding the inhumane attack on the independent protestors at Galle Face on May 9th.  

Attorney-at-Law Manoj Nanayakkara representing the independent protestors questioned why it has taken so long for the law enforcement authorities to arrest the masterminds of the ‘GotaGoGama’ attack even almost after a month from the incident.   

This was transpired at a special press briefing held yesterday at the ‘Tear Gas Cinema’ theatre of the ‘GotaGoGama’ last evening to announce the programme organised to mark the 60 days completion of the mass struggle demanding President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to go home.   

They also questioned why Senior DIG Deshabandu Tennakoon and ex-Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa have not been brought before the law in relation to the May 09th violence.   
The protestors requested all the concerned citizens and general public who would rise against this injustice to gather in front of Fort Railway Station at 2.00pm on June 09th for a protest march to ‘GotaGoGama’.   

Speaking at the media briefing, social media activist Rathindra Senaratne alias ‘Ratta’ said that in a recent interview with the Bloomberg magazine, President Rajapaksa has said that he will not leave as a failed president. “We like to remind him that he was elected with a mandate of 6.9 million votes and by a 2/3rds majority. All this was given for him to pass. But three years later people are at the brink of a food crisis and have to languish in queues to obtain fuel, cooking gas etc.     

The media briefing was attended by Fr. Jeewantha Pieris, Tampitiye Sugathananda Thera, Eranga Gunasekara of Socialist Youth Union, Convener of the Inter University Student Federation Wasantha Mudalige along with media personalities, artistes, activists and lawyers.