Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) is to go ahead with its planned mass protest on Tuesday November 16 despite the ban on mass gathering, party seniors said.
SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara told a press conference that his party will go ahead with the planned protest on Tuesday despite the ban.
'The gazette notification was issued hurriedly to prevent the mass protest after we announced our plan to stage the protest on Tuesday. We will stage our protest march strictly adhering to health guidelines. We have appealed to the protesters to come with face masks and maintain physical distance," Mr. Madduma Bandara said.
"One wonders as to why the UNP was allowed to stage its protest on Friday and denying our rights to do so," he queried.
MP Rajitha Senaratne alleged that Colombo Municipal Council ( CMC) has withdrawn the permit given earlier to use Hyde Park to gather protesters. "CMC Health officials had withdrawn the Hyde Park grounds which was earlier given to us to gather hundreds of protesters within the Colombo City," he said.
The SJB seniors said the protest will be the first step towards bringing an SJB government into power.(Daily Mirror)