Outraged by successful Sri Lanka rally in Melbourne:
Demonstrators attacked
Walter Jayawardhana
In Melbourne, Australia - Pro-Tamil Tiger supporters became violent
and attacked Sinhalese owned shops in the suburbs and attacked at least
one Sri Lankan student in the streets injuring his head.
Damages caused to shops due to attacks by pro-LTTE goons |
Outraged by a very successful rally held in front of the Victoria
Parliament in Melbourne Australia, to demand that Tamil civilians should
be released from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam human shield, pro-LTTE
elements became extremely agitated, attacked demonstrators returning
home injuring one seriously and attacked Sinhalese owned shops in the
suburbs of the city, April 4.
Eyewitnesses said the violence started when pro-LTTE supporters rode
in a fast driven vehicle waving red flags of the ferocious Tiger in the
area the demonstration was held and later attacking innocent
demonstrators returning home with beer bottles and iron rods on a
Melbourne street.
Later, the pro-LTTE goons travelled to the suburbs and selectively
attacked Sinhalese owned shops, who have nothing to do with the
demonstration turning the event to a race riot. The shops were attacked
in the Melbourne suburbs of Dandenong, Clayton, Doveton and Huntingdale.
A Sinhalese university student, profusely bleeding from the attack on
his head by the pro-LTTE rioters was admitted to the Royal Melbourne
Hospital and hospital authorities said he is out of danger. He remains
in the hospital for further tests.
The police did not permit the pro-LTTE motorcade to enter the area
when the peace rally was held on the footsteps of the Victoria
parliament. But defying the police orders LTTE vehicles had entered the
area breaking peace, provoking demonstrators and later attacking the
demonstrators.An eyewitness said the pro-Sri Lankan rally on the
footsteps of the parliament where more than 3,000 participated was
extremely peaceful. Labour Party MP, Telmo Languiller, who had just
returned from Sri Lanka, also addressed the rally and expressed the hope
that the Tigers would release the civilians. The peace rally which began
at 10.00 a.m. ended at 1.00 p.m. |