Protestors burn effigies of Sri Lanka President, PM at anti-govt protests in Italy
Apr 10, 2022
Milan [Italy], April 10 : Some 1,000 Sri Lankan nationals staged an anti-government protest at Central Railway Station in Milan, Italy.
A Sri Lankan activist named Warnakulasooriya Nisasa telecasted the event live in which protesters were seen shouting "Go Gota Go" slogans and burnt effigies of Gotabaya and Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Protestors were seen buring effigies of Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. Anti-China sologans were also rasied by the demonstrators.
The protest saw the participation of various Sri Lankan groups including Italy SL Buddhists, SL Islamic forum of Milan, Muslim Association of SL in North Italy and others.
In the Italian language, protestors called Rajapaksas corrupt, and traitors of Sri Lanka. They also accused the Rajapaksa family along with unreliable partners leading the country to a financial fiasco.
They made an appeal to the EU and the Italian government to provide necessary assistance to the grave situation in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka plunged into chaos after a lack of essential items and rolling power cuts caused nationwide protests. The country relies on tourists for foreign currency to import food and fuel and months of pandemic restrictions have starved it of money.
UN human rights experts on Friday had urged the Sri Lankan Government to guarantee the fundamental rights of peaceful assembly and of expression during peaceful protests, amid the country's severe economic crisis.
"We are gravely concerned by the recent proclamation of a state of emergency as well as the order that blocked access to social media platforms," the experts said in a statement issued by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
