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“GotaGoGama” marks one month today

09 May 2022

By Buddhika Samaraweera The public protest which is being staged near the Presidential Secretariat at Galle Face Green, demanding the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, and the incumbent Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP)- led Government, marks one month today (9). Having been organised on social media platforms, thousands of youths gathered at Galle Face Green on 9 April to demand the resignation of the President, the Premier, and the Government. More than 50,000 people participated in the protest that morning with placards and as a result the vehicular movement on the road in front of the Presidential Secretariat was completely disrupted that evening. Since then, large numbers of people have been protesting day and night in front of the Presidential Secretariat, the demarcated Demonstration Site, and in front of the Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo. Various parties have worked together to establish sanitary facilities in the area for the convenience of the protesters, and temporary library and hospital facilities have also been set up at the site. The protest, which is now known as the “GotaGoGama”, is attended by a large number of people daily and food and water are distributed to them around the area. Especially, not only the people living around Colombo, but also people from different parts of the country are now participating in it. Also, the protest which started with the participation of youths is now being attended by people of all ages. Prominent figures from various fields too have expressed their support for the protest since its inception. Among them are veteran singer Dr. Nanda Malani, music director Dr. Rohana Weerasinghe, veteran lyricist and film director Prof. Sunil Ariyaratne, and veteran actress Swarna Mallawarachchi. In addition, a number of parties including interfaith leaders, government, semi-government, and private sector trade union representatives, the business community, university students, journalists, and artists have expressed their support for the protest. Furthermore, branches of the “GotaGoGama” have been set up in other parts of the country such as Kandy, Galle, Matara, and Negombo. In addition to protesting against the President, the Premier and the Government, they also conduct public awareness programmes on various topics such as law, politics and social reforms. Meanwhile, the Lawyers Forum for the People (LFP) and the Sri Lanka Young Journalists` Association (SLYJA) have recently requested the United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression, and the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Assembly and Association to closely monitor the situation on a regular basis, including through official observation and solidarity visits to Galle Face Green and other sites of protests.


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