The police have issued a letter informing the organisers of the protest planned to be held in Colombo this afternoon (2) that they will not be allowed to hold any demonstration outside the Fort Railway Station.
Police have sent this letter to the organisers with the signature of the Colombo Central II Division Assistant Superintendent of Police K. A. E. N. Dilruk.
It is mentioned in the letter that there may be disruptions to the public and private institutions as well as wholesale trade in Fort and Pettah due to a possible road blockage during the protest.
It further said that traffic congestion caused by the protest could disrupt transport activities and it will make an impact on bringing containers from the economic zones of Katunayake, Biyagama, Wathupitiwala and Kandy to the Port of Colombo.
Road closures due to the protest will also cause hardship and inconveniences to tourists.
The letter said that under Section 80 of the Police Ordinance, the permission of an Assistant Superintendent of Police should be obtained to use a gramophone, loudspeaker or megaphone or amplifier or any other device that produces or reproduces or amplifies sound mechanically. However, it said no such permission has been obtained.
It is further stated in the letter that if there are any inconvenience caused to the public, action will have to be taken under the Police Ordinance and other laws.
Sri Lanka Police have launched an investigation into a video going viral on social media, which depicts a female tuition teacher being escorted by police motorcycles and vehicles to an event organized by her.
Police Media Spokesperson SSP Buddhika Manathunga confirmed that the individual in question is a private tuition teacher who conducts classes for students preparing for the Grade 5 Scholarship Examination.
Addressing the controversy, SSP Manathunga explained that the Sri Lanka Police may provide officers and vehicles for specific public affairs — such as for filming a movie — but only after a thorough intelligence review of the request and its context, including the script.
He further clarified that police officers may also be deployed for public events such as musical shows or ticketed functions, but this is permitted only upon payment of a required fee.
In this particular case, the teacher is reported to have requested police support, claiming it was needed for a ceremony honoring students who had successfully passed the Grade 5 Scholarship Examination. The event was said to involve nearly 8,000 students and 35,000 parents.
However, preliminary investigations have revealed that the teacher may have used the police escort to boost her personal image, raising serious concerns about the misuse of state resources.
Police have since launched an inquiry into how the vehicles and officers were allocated for the event, and whether any police personnel were complicit in the unauthorized use of official resources, SSP Manathunga said.
According to reports, the SriLankan Airlines’ management has decided to immediately call up retired cabin crew members to service, following the ‘work to rule’ campaign launched by the Cabin Crew Members Association.
The SriLankan Airlines Cabin Crew Members Association launched a ‘work to rule’ campaign in April, citing several demands, including the reallocation of their onboard meal allowance.
In this backdrop, the national carrier is said to be operating with a reduced number of cabin crew which was further affected by the recent retirement of a significant number of experienced senior staff.
The staff were retired stating that individuals over the age of 60 would no longer be retained.
Efforts to extend the retirement age had been unsuccessful.
Even though they had directed a formal request to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Dec. 12, 2024, no response was received, reports add.
