Activists under isolation stage protest at Pallekele quarantine facility
July 14, 2021 03:27 pm
Frontline Socialist Party’s Duminda Nagamuwa and several trade union members who are under isolation at the Pallekele quarantine facility have carried out a protest.
They were seen demonstrating against the forced quarantining, proposed John Kotelawala Defence University Bill, fertilizer shortage and crackdown on protesters.
Duminda Nagamuwa and five activists were taken into custody on July 07, over a demonstration held at Slave Island in violation of a quarantine regulation issued against public meetings and protests.
They were later released on bail after being produced before the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court. However, the court had ordered to direct them to Pallekele quarantine centre for a period of 14 days.
The police had also arrested former JVP Provincial Councilor Samantha Vidyaratne, National Organizer of All Ceylon Farmers’ Federation Namal Karunaratne, former JVP provincial councilor Mahinda Jayasinghe and several other activists on the same day in connection with the protests they had staged.
The following day, more than 30 protesters including General Secretary of Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU) Joseph Stalin, who were engaged in a protest against the proposed KDU Bill, were also taken into custody.
The recent arrest of protesters has sparked widespread outcry from trade unions in the country.
Meanwhile, teachers’ unions have refrained from conducting online lessons and resorted to a trade union action in protest of what they called the forced quarantining of protesters. The strike action, launched on Monday (July 12), is moving forward for the third consecutive day today.
