Police used live bullets in Katunayake 40+ injured

lkdood

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The Inter Company Employees Union today alleged that live bullets were used to disperse protesters against the private pension scheme in Katunayake this afternoon

ICEU President Vasantha Samarasinghe said that Trade Union action will be taken and called for the release of protesters in police custody.


More than 40 persons were injured in the police attack and being treated at the Ragama and Negambo hospitals, the ICEU said. The union said that they would continue to escalate action if the government did not withdraw the bill.


The Union also said that the attack was a planned attack and that they had provoked the employees who in turn had retaliated by staging a walk out. The Union said that the employees were then dispersed using tear gas and batons by the police and STF.
Dailymirror
 

lkdood

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Sri Lankan police say they fired tear gas and guns at unruly protesting workers and some 23 workers and police were wounded in the clashes.

Police chief Mahinda Balasuriya says thousands of workers protested over a government pension proposal Monday. They attacked policemen with sticks and hurled stones at them in the town of Katunayake, about 30 miles from the capital, Colombo.
 

lkdood

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More than 100 factory workers were hurt in Sri Lanka on Monday as police fired fired live bullets and used teargas to break up protests in the country's main free trade zone, officials said.

Workers pelted stones when police moved into disperse protesters demanding the withdrawal of a controversial pensions bill, a police official said.


"At least one person is in a very serious condition and more than 100 people have suffered injuries," the police official, who did not wish to be named, said. Fifteen constables were also injured.


The teargas upset hives of wasps and caused more mayhem as they stung both protesters and police at Katunayake Free Trade Zone, just next to the country's only international airport, police said.


The street battles blocked the main access road to the airport and forced air travellers to take lengthy detours, police said.

AFP