The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) will be backing a protest to be staged in Kandana today (08), where a crowd of almost 1,000 people will attend, The Morning learns. Speaking to The Morning, SJB MP Harin Fernando explained that the protest is against the Urban Development Authority’s alleged land grabbing along the western coastal belt of Sri Lanka, which mostly belongs to the Catholic community. "A large crowd is planning on coming today for the protest at the Kandana junction. People are unhappy and we have decided that this will be the beginning of protests to be staged against the acquiring of land by the Government through the Urban Development Authority. We will keep fighting for what is rightfully ours," said Fernando. A gazette notification was issued earlier last month stating that the land along the western coastline would be acquired by the Government at any said given time, which would include many Catholic churches and the land of residents along the area. "Today we have around 1000 people coming, but by Friday many people will be protesting on the streets. The Catholic community is against their churches being acquired by the Government and we will protest until the gazette notification is revoked. Today is just a warning protest," Fernando stated. Fernando added that the Government and relevant authorities have just 5 days to revisit the gazette notification and reverse it.