• Most Popular
  • Most Shared

Some 100,000 demand Sri Lanka ceasefire in UK march

Sat Apr 11, 2009 5:41pm EDT
LONDON, April 11 (Reuters) - Around 100,000 people marched through the British capital on Saturday to demand a ceasefire between Sri Lankan forces and Tamil Tiger separatists.

The march through central London was the biggest yet in a week of demonstrations by Tamils and their supporters in London and other cities.

Sri Lanka's military has said that troops have confined Tamil Tiger rebels to a small area of the Indian Ocean island's northeast coast in what could be the last act of the 25-year civil war.

The United Nations has said the rebels have kept more than 100,000 civilians as human shields.

Police said 100,000 people took part in the London demonstration, organised by a British Tamil group.

Three people were arrested for public order offences, a police spokeswoman said.

The protesters marched behind red Tamil flags and carried placards bearing slogans such as "Stop Sri Lanka's genocide of Tamils". One marcher carried a bloodied baby doll in a cardboard box.

Tamil supporters have staged demonstrations in London since last Monday when 3,000 people occupied a central London bridge next to parliament's clock tower, known as Big Ben.

Two demonstrators, who have been on hunger strike since Tuesday, agreed to take liquids on Friday after a doctor warned they ran the risk of renal failure. (Reporting by Adrian Croft; Editing by Katie Nguyen)





More from Reuters

A Greenpeace activist dressed as one of the "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" rides outside the parliament building during a brief protest in Copenhagen December 13, 2009.   REUTERS/Christian Charisius

The face of climate protest

Protesters around the globe called for an end to global warming as climate talks in Copenhagen entered their sixth day.  Video 

    President Barack Obama (R) meets with financial services industry leaders in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington December 14, 2009. REUTERS/Larry Downing

    Obama takes "fat cats" to task

    Backed by Americans outraged by multi-billion dollar bailouts, President Obama met with a dozen of Wall Street's top bankers in a bid to crack down on the so-called "fat cats" largely held responsible for the financial crisis.  Full Article 

    Lockheed Martin Chief Executive Robert Stevens answers a question during the Reuters Aerospace and Defense Summit in Washington December 14, 2009.  REUTERS/Molly Riley

    Lockheed eyes deals

    The future demands of cybersecurity make that sector one of many the aerospace giant sees as an acquisition target in the coming year.  Full Article