April 1, 2022
Read this article in English | සිංහල | தமிழ்
A timeline of the major events that happened yesterday, using footage shared on social media.
Analysis by Yudhanjaya Wijeratne Edited by Aisha Nazim Translated by Mohammed Fairooz & Nishadi Gunatilake
At 6:00pm yesterday, a protest began near Jubilee Post, Mirihana.
https://twitter.com/Sunil_Matara/status/1509523974484418562
By 8:00pm the protest was growing. Large crowds were joining the protest on foot, with increasing support from motorists.
https://twitter.com/newsradiolk/status/1509563273024180225
https://twitter.com/UdiUdz/status/1509544308164206601
https://twitter.com/Welikumbura/status/1509543951836999691
By 9PM, the protest spread along Pengiriwatte Road, where the President’s house is.
By 10:00pm the protest was still growing.
As best as we can make out, this is when the violence begins. At 10:10pm, police launch tear gas at the protestors.
Footage from different parts of the protest show different things happening — on one side, people are chanting slogans, on the other, they’re dismantling barricades. Then we have footage of tear gas being deployed, as water cannon trucks seemingly barge into Mirihana junction and begin firing at the sides of the road.
https://twitter.com/Welikumbura/status/1509575419254743055
https://twitter.com/nuzlyMN/status/1509577175493537792
https://twitter.com/itsPrahas/status/1509583109356134403
Protesters on the road apparently scatter and regroup to take on a tear gas truck. There’s a lot of men in helmets throwing stuff at it.
https://twitter.com/Dailymirror_SL/status/1509578455221821466