Pic by Pradeep Pathirana 

• An attempt to arrest an activist by police in civvies were surrounded by protesters   

By Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana   

A female representation of the Galle Face Aragalaya that gathered at Colombo Fort yesterday, demanded the government to provide an economy to survive, as the previous regime was utterly corrupt and lead the country to bankruptcy.    

“Galle Face Aragalaya Kantha Handa” or the Women’s Voice of the Galle Face Struggle gathered in numbers at the Fort Railway Station yesterday evening to stage their demonstration against  the corrupt government that ruined the country’s economy.   

Holding its banner “Don’t let the repression kill the struggle” the women activists invited the women in Sri Lanka to come forward to fight against this state oppression.   

“We as women run our families and children from home, when our men take to the streets to fight against the injustice and oppression thus being taken into custody under inhumane laws. In their absence how can we feed our children a proper meal or to send them to school with an economy in shambles,” the women questioned.   
The peaceful demonstration which shouted slogans for about an hour then started to proceed towards Colombo Fort to hand over a letter to Police Headquarters along the Olcott Mawatha, where they were obstructed by police in numbers at the Telecom Junction.   

Senior police officers warned the protesters not to proceed further as female police riot squads backed by water canon trucks were summoned to the scene.    A group of protesters however were permitted to proceed towards the Police Headquarters to hand over their letter.   

Meanwhile, an attempt to arrest a male activist by the name Nipun by a group of policemen in civvies were surrounded by the protesters and their attempts were hindered.