Sunday Times 2
How should Police respond when protesters turn unruly
View(s):By B. Anton Jeyanathan
The Police had come in for severe criticism during the past few months for their action against protesters who were on the street day in and day out. The Police have to maintain law and order so that the majority of the citizens who are law-abiding, are not inconvenienced or harassed.
On many an occasion, the Police displayed zero tolerance in dealing with protesters. But of late, protesters harassing and threatening Police Officers, both men and women, have become commonplace. Some of the protesters were seen pulling the police officers by their uniforms and even using abusive language. Police officers are at the receiving end of the protesters.
As much as the Police are expected to use the minimum force, police officers are also trained in riot control. In the past, they are taught that they should first warn protesters who engaged in unlawful assembly and processions, and if they did not heed the warning, to use tear gas – water cannons as a riot control means was unheard of in the early days. If in spite of these measures, the protesters continued, the Police were ordered to baton charge the unruly crowd and thereafter use firearms. In the recent past, the Police have not baton-charged any protesters but only used water cannons and tear gas to disperse protesters.
The Police are responsible not only to the Government but also to the public whose well-being must also be safeguarded. The inconvenience the general public undergoes during unrest with protesters getting onto the street, disrupting transport and the people’s freedom of movement, and preventing employees from reaching their workplaces on time is also a matter of concern for the Police.
Such disruptions should be strictly dealt with to prevent inconvenience and disruption of the normal life of the majority of Sri Lankans. It is the duty of the Police. In dealing with the protesters the Police should ensure that they use the minimum force to prevent the protesters from committing further disruption and causing inconvenience to the public.
Demonstrations and protests in a democratic system of governance are enshrined in the Constitution of the country and must be permitted so long as they are peaceful. From what we have seen in the past few months, though the protests are peaceful, some of the members taking part in the demonstrations do not conduct themselves in a peaceful manner. They have confronted the Police, disobeyed rules and regulations, and defied court orders. Under these circumstances, the Police had to use whatever force to prevent the protesters from committing any further violation of the rules. They have a bounden duty towards the majority of the Sri Lankans and should protect the interests of the majority so long as they act within the law, using the minimum amount of force.
Let the Police continue to maintain law and order using the minimum force required to contain the disrupting demonstrations.
(The writer is a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police)