Protestors in Jaffna demand self-determination and Gotabaya to ‘Go Home’

Dozens of protestors in Jaffna gathered with placards denouncing the Sri Lankan government and red and yellow flags this evening, as they demanded justice for genocide, the repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act and the right to self-determination.

 

17 April 2022

The protestors, which included Tamil National Alliance (TNA) spokesperson M A Sumanthiran, chanted “we want justice for genocide,” and held torches, as they marched through Jaffna earlier this evening.

Placards were seen with the slogan ‘Go Home Gota’, matching anti-government protests across the South.

However, in Jaffna, they also demanded the repeal of the PTA, which continues to be used to detain Tamils across the North-East, as well as justice for the forcibly disappeared and the acceptance of the right to self-determination.

Unlike in the southern protests, there were no Sri Lankan ‘lion’ flags present. Instead, flags with the colours red and yellow – symbolically used to represent the Tamil nation – were seen.