Police fire tear gas at protesting university students

(UPDATE): 4.04pm - Police once again fired tear gas and used water cannons in order to clear the road as university students continued to protest and obstruct traffic in the Town Hall area in Colombo.

Riot Police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse protesting university students marching towards Ward Place from the direction of Town Hall in Colombo.
 
The protesting students had attempted to push through police barricades across the road which was closed for traffic arriving from Town Hall due to the protest oraganised by the Inter University Students’ Federation (IUSF).

The protest march was staged today (21), demanding solutions for the issues of the South Eastern University students.

The agitation is also against the recent statements of the Minister of Higher Education Wijedasa Rajapakse, according to the IUSF Convener Lahiru Weerasekera.

The Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court today allowed university students to hold their protest without inconveniencing the public, after a court order was sought by Fort Police.

The protesting students were also barred from entering any public institutions.