Build up to Saturday’s protest continues, Court turns down police request to stop student protest

The Colombo Chief Magistrate Courts has turned down a request from the Police to issue an order preventing a demonstration by the Inter University Students Federation (IUSF) as the students prepared for an overnight protest ahead of a mass campaign calling President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to step down.

Convener of the IUSF Wasantha Mudalige said they were preparing for a march from the Kelaniya University this afternoon to Colombo in preparation for the Saturday’s mass protest.

He said the students will continue their protest overnight and join the Saturday’s protest in Colombo.

The move came as several organization have started leaving from their respective areas to join the protest campaign.  Some of them have left in bicycle parades in view of the fuel shortages.

The Colombo Chief Magistrate court rejected the request made by the Attorney General yesterday to prevent the entry of protest groups into Colombo Fort area on Saturday, July 09.

Meanwhile the inspector General of the C.D Wickremeratne warned that violence would not be tolerated. He added that they will always respect the right to protest guaranteed under the Constitution and will take all steps to protect their rights.

The warning came hours after fort police attempt to obtain a court order banning protests on Saturday was rejected by Colombo Magistrate courts.

Meanwhile Police Spokesman SSP Nihal Thalduwa said that there were no objections to peaceful protests and the police will take action if anything illegal takes place.

In a related development the Private Bus Owners Association President Gemunu Wijeratne said that most private buses will keep away as they fear that disruption of traffic will make it difficult to operate buses in view of the diesel shortages.

He said they also feared violence as a number of buses were burnt during the May 9 violence.

Meanwhile the anger and the frustration of the people who are waiting at the fuel stations reached the tipping point as another death of a person who were waiting at a queue in a fuel station in Dewata area in Galle.

The deceased was identified as a 22 year old youth resident of Galle Wanchawala area, the death had taken place as a result of a dispute to over skipping fuel queue, and the youth had been stabbed to death during the dispute. The deceased had succumbed due to injuries.