Sri Lankan Muslims stage a demonstration to express solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza and denouncing Israeli attacks, in Colombo yesterday.
DPA/Colombo
Muslims in Sri Lanka took to the streets yesterday in protest at Israeli policy in Gaza, as police moved to keep them apart from Buddhist radicals to avoid clashes.
The demonstrators chanted anti-Israeli and anti-UN slogans, and demanded that Sri Lanka stop all business and diplomatic relations with Israel.
“If the UN can initiate an investigation against Sri Lanka for alleged war crimes and take action against several other countries, why can’t they act against Israel,” said Abdul Razik, general secretary of the Sri Lanka Thawheed Jamaath Muslim organisation.
Police blocked around 1,500 demonstrators from reaching the centre of Colombo, after threats from Buddhist monks.
“We did not want to allow the protest march in view of recent incidents between Muslims and Buddhists,” a senior police officer said.
Four people were killed and hundreds of shops and houses burned out or looted in June when Muslims and Buddhists clashed in three towns of Kalutara district, 40km south of Colombo.
Ven Galagodaatte Ganasara, general secretary of the Buddhist monks’ organisation Bodu Bala Sena (Buddhist Force), said the the Thawheed Jamaath was trying to exploit the situation in Gaza.
Shops were closed along the route of the demonstration, as anti-riot police were deployed in the streets.
