Court restricts 54 protesters including 30 monks from occupying Presidential Secretariat premises

Colombo Fort Magistrate Pasan Amaraseena issued an order on Friday, October 16, restricting 54 people associated with protests near Sri Lanka’s Presidential Secretariat, according to Newswire. Daily Mirror also reported that the order barred the group from remaining within the Secretariat premises.

The group includes Buddhist monk Ulapane Sumangala Thera and 29 other monks, 11 politicians, including former minister Udaya Gammanpila, and 18 civil society representatives, the Daily Mirror reported. Newswire described the order as applying to the named individuals’ occupation of the premises.

Reports in Ada Derana and Hiru News say the restrictions concern protests outside or in front of the Presidential Secretariat. Hiru’s Sinhala report also refers to the Presidential residence and obstruction of pavements. A separate Hiru Tamil headline says access to the Secretariat and other key locations was prohibited.

Ada Derana reported that protesters began removing temporary huts near the Secretariat after the court order. It also reported a tense scene as police attempted to remove a canopy erected outside the building. Hiru’s Sinhala report said monks removed temporary structures in compliance with the order.

Written automatically by AI from the outlets’ own reports, and not reviewed by an editor. It can be wrong — the original report is the authority.