Sri Lanka joins the world today to observe Labour Day. May 1, or May Day, is traditionally a day of political demonstrations focused on the workers of the world.
Political parties, trade unions, and activists, including Communist groups, will be holding rallies and taking to the streets to show their solidarity with the worker.
The ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and its constituent political parties will set out in a May Day procession from Campbell Park, Borella at 1.00 pm, and the main rally will take place at the Town Hall grounds at 3.00 pm.
An estimated 100,000 people from around the country are expected to converge on Colombo for the rally, and the Sri Lanka Transport Board is providing special bus services for the May Day participants.
The Police have drawn up a May Day traffic plan for Colombo city.
May Day participants travelling from Kandy can park their vehicles along Dean’s Road, Colombo 10, and join the walk from the Borella junction, through Ward Place, and past the Zoysa roundabout up to the Town Hall.
Vehicles coming from direction of the Galle Road can be parked along Green Path, while vehicles coming from High Level Road and Low Level Road can be parked along Reid Avenue. Vehicles from Negombo can park along Green Path; from Sri Jayawardenapura/Kotte along Maitland Place, and from Kesbewa and Piliyandala along Independence Avenue.
Four roads in the vicinity of rally venues will be closed today. The roads are F. R. Senanayake Mawatha, from Kannangara junction up to Dharmapala Mawatha; Green Path, from the Horton Place roundabout up to the Public Library roundabout; Baseline Road, from the Dematagoda junction up to Borella junction; and Park Lane, from the Park Road junction up to the Isipathana Road junction. The city traffic plan comes into effect at 7.00 am, and will be in place until the May Day participants have completed their processions.
The opposition United National Party will hold its May Day rally in Bandarawela. The rally begins at 10.00 am, and will be led by Party head, Ranil Wickremesinghe.
It is understood that the recently appointed UNP Co-Deputy Leader, Sajith Premadasa, will not be attending the rally in Bandarawela as he has organised a ceremony in Hulftsdorp, Colombo to commemorate the late President R. Premadasa. Mr. Sajith Premadasa has said that he will not be able to attend both functions.
UNP Co-Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya will also be attending the Hulftsdorp meeting to pay tribute to the former Party leader, and will not be attending the UNP rally in Bandarawela.
The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) May Day rally will be held at the Burgher Recreation Club (BRC) grounds, Colombo 4. The procession will set out from the S. de S. Jayasinghe ground in Dehiwela and continue along Allen Road, Kalubowila Hospital Road, Saranankara Road, Pamankada, Stafford Avenue, past the Maya Avenue roundabout, along Havelock Road and up to the BRC grounds.
Although the UPFA has announced that all constituent parties affiliated to the Alliance will be taking part in UPFA event, UPFA vice-president Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan said he will be leading a separate May Day rally in Batticaloa to demonstrate the Batticaloa residents’ support for the government.
The Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC), led by Arumugam Thondaman, holds its Party May Day rally in Nuwara Eliya, with the participation of estate workers, while the Upcountry People’s Front, led by Shanthinidevi Chandrasekaran, will hold its May Day rally in Thalawakela.
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processions. |
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| Workers ready the city in time for the thousands expected today for the May Day processions that will fill many streets. Pix by Gemunu Wellage, Saman Kariyawasam, Nilan Maligaspe and Athula Devapriya |
The National Freedom Front (NFF), headed by Minister Wimal Weerawansa, holds its rally at the White Park ground in Maligakanda, Maradana. It is understood that an anti-UN protest and pledges to support President Mahinda Rajapaksa will be part of the NFF rally agenda. Mr. Weerawansa’s rally will later link up with the UPFA rally at the Town Hall.
The Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) will be represented at the UPFA’s main rally.
The Nava Sama Samaja Party (NSSP) begins its procession at the Fort Railway Station, and the Communist party will hold its May Day meeting in Maradana. The Samajawadi Samanatha Party (SSP) May Day meeting takes place at the New Town Hall, Colombo.
The Eksath Samajawadi Party (ESP) procession starts in Orugodawatta, and its meeting will be held at the Kosgas Junction.
The United Workers’ Congress (UWC), led by Mano Ganesan, holds its rally in Avissawella. An alliance of five leftist parties will set out in procession from the Ayurveda Junction, near the N. M. Perera statue, and end at the Kannangara Junction.
The Trade Unions General Congress will hold its meeting at the Hyde Park grounds, after meeting at the Fort Railway Station,
The Apparel Industry Labour Rights Movement says it will make its demand for a minimum living wage its May Day rally theme.
The Police and the Special Task Force (STF) will deploy 8,000 personnel to ensure security during the rallies – 5,000 in Colombo, and 3,000 at other venues.
In view of the large numbers coming to Colombo for May Day events, the Police have set up a Public Communication Centre (PCC) to help find persons who might go missing during the rallies.
The Inspector General of Police, Mahinda Balasuriya, has given instructions that garbage disposal bins be placed at May Day rally venues and along procession routes. The IGP has appealed to the public to ensure the city is clean and tidy after the rallies. |
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