The public was severely inconvenienced this evening as the ruling United National Party (UNP) took to the streets in Colombo protesting against the opposition and their alleged conspiracies. In another protest also this evening, in Fort, a student protest led by the Inter University Students Federation (IUSF) protest was tear gassed.
The UNP protest which was held under the patronage of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe at Lipton Circus was against ‘vicious forces’ trying to defeat the people’s mandate, while the IUSF demanded authorities to abolish the degree granting status of the South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM) in Malabe.
Police said that they were compelled to tear gas the IUSF protestors as they attempted to break down security barricades and march ahead. The police used tear gas and water cannons on the students.
The UNP protest resulted in a huge traffic block in and around the Town Hall area.
words / March 15, 2016
Ranil always does stupid things when he feels cornered. Probably antogonised a whole lot of more people with traffic snarls in an already messy trafficky city.. people are mentally and physically exausted. .with tax burdens and power cuts.. yeah .. let’s just irritate them some more..right Ranil?
And whilst at it.. block the road for other protestors and tear gas them too.. such intelligent thinking!! Great show of justice there!
This is what you call digging your own grave !! And then go blame the opposition for their vicious tactics???
Laughable!
Act like a responsible leader Ranil. Right now you are incredibly dissapointing!
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rew / March 15, 2016
Any advice to the Joint Opposition, to refrain from obstructing the will of the people, confirmed at 2 elections in 2015
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words / March 16, 2016
If the government does its job proper.. the Joint Opposition will just loose steam.. simple..
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Peter / March 16, 2016
In view of the above fact (stated by rew) the protest by UNP is a farce to distract the public focus on financial and other benefit increases to all elected officials.
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sr / March 17, 2016
protesting generally belongs to the opposition
it,s silly for the power holder to protest
you’re strengthening the opposition
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Wow / March 16, 2016
2 elections huh.. what about the 20 elections Ranil lost before those two elections? The will of the people has changed considerably within the last year. What can anybody do when they have no other options? The JVP is a just a mercenary party for hire and they have shown it time and time again. What else can people do but look for the joint opposition? The cycle continues until a stronger force rises up. I hope that force would arrive sooner. We need a revolution to change the fate of the country
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Plato. / March 15, 2016
words.
In this world,choice is yours!
Do you want a known murderer,crook,or Ranil?
The question is simple!
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Conrad.P / March 16, 2016
They are all the same accept in different disguises.
Contents same, packaging different.
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words / March 16, 2016
All we want is to live peacefully with basic necessities like a clean city , affordable taxes, go home at the end of day to water and electricity. Simple needs.. Ranil has most definitely failed in that aspect
The past is over…. this nonsense of comparing him to the past regime is just stale. And people must stop accepting that as an excuse for the government’s inefficiencies! It just prompts them to take it easy! And then who benefits from that anyway..???? ahhhh.. the past regime!! So you see .. you’re plan ain’t really good or farsighted.
Ranil was voted in.. he needs to deliver. 15 MONTHS ARE GONE..This is utter nonsense..people are increasingly frustrated… If you are not.. well I’m happy for you! Took us bloody 3 hours to get home yesterday as against the normal half hour!!!!!
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kumaran / March 16, 2016
RW is preferred but what ‘Words’ says is, and all of us agree, that this is no way to rule an already battered nation. MR did brilliantly by ending the LTTE terror but he was wrong in all the other things thereafter.
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srinath.gunaratne / March 15, 2016
He has forgotten he is the government now!
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Leelawathie / March 16, 2016
why should he be silent – when idiots are planning to turn the stupid mind sets again ?
Wimal Buruwanse will face it now or later, but this govt is civlized to achieve them through proper channels
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KA Sumanasekera / March 16, 2016
“Don’t disrupt Batalanada’Ranil who is giving One Million Jobs to Dalits”
That was the banner behind the Yahapalana PM who is now as popular as Mr Pirahaparan, among the Sinhala Buddhist inhabitants.
This is the case specially. after listening to Dhammaloka Thero who divulged the UNP & Sira Faction conspiracy against Sinhala Buddhists in the Village.
Don’t disrupt Yahapalana Power Cuts ” would have been a more fitting slogan as well as the Banner for this big ass UNP protest.
It would have been well received by all, although our Dalits don’t have A/Cs…
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Rohan / March 16, 2016
/This is the case specially. after listening to Dhammaloka Thero who divulged the UNP & Sira Faction conspiracy against Sinhala Buddhists in the Village.
WOW… That’s where the brain/wisdom/knowledge is supplied from!!
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Wera / March 16, 2016
If the new el presidente cannot get on with the job of prosecuting his own mates and thinks the UNP is going to take all the abuse from the public for his crafty interfering then this is what must happen. Every protest will inconvenience the public in some way. That cannot be helped. How many times has the IUSF gone on protest marches? How many times has the UNP done so? They are incomparable in scale violence and repetition.
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A LAW ABIDING CITIZEN / March 16, 2016
AFTER THE END OF TERRORISM IN 2009 ALL PEOPLE WERE LIVING PEACEFULLY IN THIS COUNTRY….BUT THE EXTREMIST ELEMENTS IN THE NORTH AND THE EAST SEEMS THAT THEY DO NOT WANT PEACE…SO IT WAS THEM WHO MADE THIS CHANGE……….. AND GOT THE ‘YAMAPALANAYA’ TO RULE ….AND NOW ASKING FURTHER TO RELEASE THE HARDCORE TERRORISTS…..AND WE CAN SEE WHAT THEY ARE ASKING FOR ………….SRI LANKA IS IN A MESS………SECURITY IN THE COUNTRY IS IN DANGER…..PEOPLE ARE BEEN USED TO SET EACH OTHER AGAINST…………THIS IS NO JOKE……MR.PRIME MINISTER IS SPREADING HATRED ……..VIOLATING FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS……..THREATNING THE MEDIA………….OUR COUNTRY IS GOING INTO A VERY DARK ERA……AGAIN THE GOVERNMENT HAD SHOWED THEIR ‘COLORS’ BY TEARGASSING THE INNOCENT STUDENT PROCESSION IN FORT AND AT THE SAME TIME HOLDING DEMONSTRATIONS AGAINST THE OPPOSITIONS RIGHTS ….WHAT A MESS WAS THIS YESTERDAY DEMONSTRATION AT TOWNHALL LIPTON ROUNDABOUT…………PEOPLE WHO GOT INTO THE TRAFFIC CONGESTION WERE CURSING THE YAMAPALANAYA DEVILS …..A PURE VIOLATIONS OF DEMOCRACY…….DICTATORSHIP IS THE RULE ………MAY GOD COME TO HELP US ………..SOS…….SOS….SOS
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Kalu Nangi / March 16, 2016
Don’t call them “innocent students”! They caused massive traffic jams yesterday around 3 p.m. all the way from Kelaniya on the Kandy Road and along Baseline Road taking almost half of the main road for their procession. The Police did not intervene and we, stuck in traffic were wondering why these so called “innocent students” were allowed to take the law on to their hands! At the Maradana junction they blocked the road preventing vehicles to pass, and we had to wait impatiently till these slogan shouting stupid students in their hundreds passed through. The Police did not stop them, thanks to Yahapalanaya. If it was the previous regime, they would have been beaten back with bullets and batons in Kelaniya itself. They were turned back only when they tried to storm into Fort. There is too much freedom given to students along with free education. The future headed by such a generation will be no better than the present era. Loud mouthed lot with pea brains.
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nimal fernando / March 16, 2016
Ranil Oh man, I can’t believe this! How incredibly stupid can you get?
Your forte is not marching and propaganda; leave it to others in your party.
You have to work with a ship load of fools and crooks and people with minds still in the middle ages who think that Rajapakses are the 21st century.
Show some smarts. Have a backbone and guts to do what needs to be done. Show some real-world practical leadership and show the people/country some direction.
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Saman / March 16, 2016
Many unwise people do not understand the remarkable qualities and calibre of Prime Minister Mr. Ranil Wickramasinghe.
We versed, well read, well mannered,well disciplined, person is our Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe.
People are jealous of him because most people follow unwise and undisciplined Mahinda rajapaksa who fool many Sinhalese Buddhists in our country.
We are very happy to announce our Prime Minister is Mr. Ranil Wickramasinghe.
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sama / March 16, 2016
Saman lanka is filled with human animals. Most of them love rather corruptoin and abuses. Ranil and MY3 are not their focus but any MR like charactors. This was the case with Premadasa too. But both of them created the unexpected. No matter even human lives would have been taken, people stayed with their stupidities. This is a global problem to anywhere in the developing world – when democracies are going to be introduced. Cultured educated men and women have no space in those countries. This is what I feel having watched all these.
As we ourselves know if a team is run by a thug, his would never run to sober nature. In a country where surface values are regarded as the most important things of the life, what cant go wrong. First thing timeworthy is to improve the knowledge of common man – about all the politics and future. At least JVPers shold do the job well by outreaching masses. Then JVPrs will be the strongest to run this war torn/predominant uncivilized country/Nation.
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Shan / March 16, 2016
Why the hell are they protesting and for what? They run the government and have all the powers. Leave the protests to the opposition and go and fix the problems in the country instead of wasting time protesting against themselves.
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jimsofty / March 16, 2016
This is JVP asking for attention.
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William Sacks / March 16, 2016
IUSF doing Kumar Gunarathnam’s politics and these demos should be banned. They force students, especially freshers to go on demos and if do not take part they are subjected to harsh punishments. These demos should have been dispersed before reaching Colombo, in Kelaniya itself. Water cannons, tear gas or baton charge does not matter. Enough is enough!
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Oma Yang / March 16, 2016
These University Students take too many things for granted. Should they not be concentrating on their studies. They are studying thanks to our money that is collected in the form of ever increasing taxes. We had to study at our own cost, get qualified and pay taxes so that these uncouth folks can get a free ride from education to jobs. They are truly unemployable graduates. The government should stop free education so that they would understand the value of money and time and focus on their education. Private universities is a must if this country is to move forward where newer more industry subjects are taught. I support any government that puts these buggers in their place.
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Point of View / March 16, 2016
Totally, totally agree !
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thondamanny / March 16, 2016
When the Prime Minister had not been upto Mischief & Fun during his childhood days, this is what you
Who cares for the masses? let the Prime Minister get a Thrill & a Kick out of it.
When was he able to bask in glory like this surrounded by his supporters. back again to Childhood.
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Ding Dang / March 16, 2016
Hey Saman you said “Many unwise people do not understand the remarkable qualities and caliber of Prime Minister Mr. Ranil Wickramasinghe. We versed, well read, well mannered,well disciplined, person is our Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe.”
RW may have all these qualities, but he is not a capable and talented leader with a proven track record to govern the country. He is dividing the people, not unifying them. Why he is having rally on the road blocking all the tragic. We NEED A LEADER to take the county forward, a person like Lee Kuan Yew, not RW.
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Thomas / March 16, 2016
Enough with the shenanigans Ranil. People appointed you to run the country, so roll up those sleeves and DO IT. Stop this drama as it’s becoming very stale. Almost 1.5 years gone and we are in an even bigger mess. We appointed you to fix the country. So for heaven’s sake, instead of blaming and hiding behind the past regime, start acting like a true leader and a man – Start the development process. Open up employment opportunities for our people. Bring down the cost of living. Stabilise the stock market. Lessen the country’s debt. Stop blaming XYZ for your weaknesses.
Run the country like a Leader. Enough is enough.
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Plato. / March 17, 2016
words.
Fine.I accept your reasoning.
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