Police fire water cannons at protesting medical students in Colombo

Police have used water cannons in attempts to disperse protesting university students at Horton Place, Colombo 07.

It was earlier reported that the road towards Borella at Horton Place from Nelum Pokuna was blocked for traffic due to the protest march launched by Medical Faculty student activists of several state universities.

Medical Faculty students took to the streets of Colombo this afternoon (16 May), protesting against medical degrees offered by private universities.

Protesters accused the government of attempting to destroy free education and healthcare in the country by conspiring with private institutions, namely Lyceum Campus, NSBM Green University and Gateway Graduate School, in order to ‘sell medical degrees’.