News
May Day: GotaGoGama at Galle Face Green to grab the spotlight this year
Opposition parties have organised major May Day rallies today with the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) and affiliated parties organising low-key events.
As political parties and unions have organised a string of events to mark May Day, the Galle Face Green where thousands have been demonstrating for more than three weeks is also set to draw attention.
The ruling SLPP has decided to celebrate workers day only through its union wing.
JVP activists preparing for May Day rally
SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam said this year’s May Day celebration would be held by the SLPP aligned trade unions at the Ananda Samarakoon open air theatre in Nugegoda.
He said they had decided on this after considering the problems of gathering large crowds by using buses and spending fuel when the country is facing a crisis situation.
Mr. Kariyawasam said they were confident they could gather numbers and claimed many who were protesting against the Government were those who voted for Opposition candidate Sajith Premadasa at the Presidential election in 2019.
SLPP aligned trade union leader Bandula Saman Kumara said the theme of their event was Abiyoga Mada Nosalena Handa.
He said trade unions which were aligned with the party would hold the event with the participation of Ministers Dinesh Gunawardena and Gamini Lokuge.
The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB)-led by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa will hold its May Day rally in Colombo. Senior party members said even though they were concerned over the security of party supporters, they were standing with the people of the country.
SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara said they had decided to start their May Day procession from Campbell Park and march to the Town Hall premises. The march will begin at 1.00pm today.
SJB supporters have been marching in a procession from Kandy from Tuesday onwards, and will join the May Day rallies.
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the United National Party (UNP) will stage protests and carry out protest marches instead of their usual processions and rallies.
SLFP General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekara said they would hold protests in every district calling on the President, the Prime Minister and Government to resign.
UNP Assistant Leader Akila Viraj Kariyawasam said their party supporters would march from the new Town Hall to Galle Face Green.
The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) has organised four May Day rallies in Colombo, Matara, Anuradhapura and Jaffna. JVP Politburo member Lal Kantha said despite the prevailing socio-political situation, they had planned to hold a colourful May Day celebration. He said the venue and times of the procession could change with new developments.
The left aligned parties too were making their own preparations to celebrate workers day separated from the major parties.
The National Freedom Front (NFF) has planned to hold its May Day rally at Ape Gama in Battaramulla at 2.00 pm. The theme of the event is “May Rally against Imperialism.” Party leader Wimal Weerawansa is scheduled to deliver the main speech of the rally.
Lanka Sama Samaja Party Leader Tissa Vitharana said the Communist Party, Democratic Left Party, the Mahajana party and Desha Vimukthi Janatha Party would hold their workers day celebrations separately.
Dr Vitharana said they planned to go in procession towards Union Place via Dr Colvin R. de Silva Mawatha and hold their May Day rally at Hyde Park.
The Frontline Socialist Party will hold its May Day rally at the Viharamahadevi Park’s open air stadium.
The Frontline Socialist Party Publicity Secretary Pubudu Jagoda said they would carry out a protest march from Fort at 11.00 am and go to Vihara Mahadevi Park. He said there was a possibility that after the rally they go towards Galle Face Green.
In Kandy, the GotaGoGama protest group is planning to hold a May Day Rally from noon to 3.00 pm, today.
The protestors said they would also have a protest march during the morning hours. They have planned to gather groups of people at Peradeniya, Katugastota and Thankubura bridges and march towards GotaGoGama in Kandy.
Meanwhile the Ceylon Mercantile Union (CMU) had planned to hold a meeting at their headquarters in Bala Tampoe lane in Colpetty at 10.00 am today.
CMU General Secretary Silvester Jayakody said they would also march to the Colpetty junction and then head towards Galle Face Green in support of the protesters.
Mr Jayakody said their late General Secretary Bala Tampoe was among the first to denounce Executive presidential constitution.
Meanwhile the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) will be having its May Day rallies at Kilinochchi and Batticaloa, after a peaceful march.
| President’s May Day plea to political leaders President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has invited all political leaders to work together with the responsibility of creating a better future for the people in the country. The President in a message to mark May day said in the past three years, the group that faced the most serious challenges in our country is our working class. “They are also the ones who were resilient in the face of all these challenges and made great commitments to strengthen the national economy. The day-to-day challenges they face are even more intense today. The government is taking various approaches to liberate the people from this situation and alleviate the oppressive nature of the situation”, he said. He said the loss of foreign exchange has created many issues. Managing all these factors is the way to solve the issues. “Instead of following up on who is responsible for the current problematic situation, what we need to do now is to focus on what action can be taken to provide immediate relief to the public, and also to go for the most appropriate and efficient programme to find solutions to the burning issues of the people,” he said. Bearing the responsibility of creating a better future for the people of this country, as the Head of State and on behalf of the people I invited the leaders of all political parties to work together. Each second, our goal is to find solutions to existing crises by resorting to methods that can alleviate the suffering of the people. On this year’s Workers’ Day, I once again invite the leaders of all political parties to come to a consensus on behalf of the people to overcome the challenge we face.
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