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Tamil protesters threaten summer of ‘flash demos'
Amar Singh20 May 2009
Tamil protesters are planning a series of flash demos' at various locations across London this summer, which will place unprecedented demands on Scotland Yard.
The protests, set to take place at several locations across the capital, including the embassies of countries that have supported Sri Lanka in its long-running civil war, will be rapidly-arranged within 24 hours through a rootless' network using websites including Facebook, Twitter and text messages.
It comes after the Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson warned that policing the Tamil protests for 44 days has cost more than £8 million and said the force was extraordinarily stretched'.
But his resources will be challenged further over the coming months with protestors planning to descend on a hot list' of targets. They include the Russian and Israeli embassies in Kensington.
Both countries have sold arms to the Sri Lankan army as its military operation escalated this year, culminating in the Tamil Tigers being destroyed as a military force.
Other buildings which could face mass demos include the Chinese and Japanese embassies in the West End because both nations have provided economic support to Sri Lanka.
The Indian embassy in the Strand is also a potential target.
As the closest super-power' to Sri Lanka, India's leaders have been accused by Tamils of turning their backs as genocide takes place on their doorstep.
Its embassy has already faced protests and a statue of Nehru, the country's first prime minister, has been vandalised.
The Sri Lankan cricket team faces protests when they plays at Lord's in the Twenty20 World Cup and companies that have set up factories in Sri Lanka in recent years, including Marks & Spencer, could face boycotts.
A source told the Standard: “The protests are getting more organised and the strength of feeling is high. We as a community are now able to mobilise in huge numbers at a location in less than 24 hours.”
The protests have given the Metropolitan Police a unique challenge as they are not coherently organised by one or a handful organisations.
The source added: “The students have learned how to manipulate the police. They have purposely given officers different points of contact each day so that they cannot determine who the key people are and arrest them.”
The Tamil protestors, many of which are students at London universities, have been working on alternative sites for demonstrations since it emerged that police could be granted the power to move people on from the square and to make it illegal for demonstrators to camp out overnight.
Westminster Council are hoping to rush through new legislation before the Parliamentary recess in June.
Suren Surendiran, spokesman for the Tamil Forum said: “The Tamil protestors will not just go back to their homes, just because Sri Lanka are declaring the war is over. People will continue protesting and countries such as China, India and Russia have much to answer for.”
Reader views (35)
If the TAMILS are so concerned What are they doing in this country surely it would make more sense fighting for their rights in their own country instead of bringing their problems here
- Charlie, SHEFFIELD ENGLAND, 21/05/2009 06:12
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Looks like the tamil tiger capitol has shifted to UK and Canada. Treating the tigers like pussy cats will come back to haunt the west.
- Gamini K, NY. USA, 21/05/2009 05:04
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before all you boludo's make such enough is enough statements let me tell you how the british is responsible for this very protest happening on your backyard. When sri lanka was a colony under the Brits they favoured the tamils over the sinhalese population in their running the the country. they hired tamils rather than sinhalese and in general favoured them in every which way when governing the country. Sounds familiar: divide and rule method of running the country. so when independence came the majority sinhalese remembered the behaviour of the gloating tamils under the british. So while the brits were back in their terraced houses which they built by being an invader, the majority sinhalese got back at the tamils: the opposite fate waited for the tamils under the sinhalese. So when britain has constanly backed the tamils today it is because the government remembers the history and what the tamils did for them in running the former colony in the past. so when you see your soul mates everyday in parliment square, remember they were like the gurkhas for you in sri lanka.
- Boludo'S Uncle, london england, 21/05/2009 04:52
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Anyone out there still think they were only trying to stop the fighting for humanitarian reasons?
These people are trying to fight their war on a different level, is all. And they'll walk over the common rights of anyone and everyone to do so. They've dropped their mask, and it shows the ugliness they've been trying to hide.
- Rogan, Irving, 21/05/2009 01:11
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Why do we pussyfoot around we should water cannon them they will soon disperse and save alot of policing time and cost
- Andrew, london, 20/05/2009 16:19
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Enough!..If you call yourself part of British society,obey the rules,you have made your point and staying on in Parliament Square is pointless and you wont get any good will from the majority of the public.Do you think the British govt cares about your demo and things are being done behind the scenes.I heard a rumour the police costs have been 8 million pounds??..please say that figure is wrong..
- Jonnie Of Brixton, brixton,london,england, 20/05/2009 16:09
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Note they intend to protest outside the Chinese, Russian, Israeli and Indian Embassies in London. I'd like to see them try and carry on like they are doing here in the actual capitals of China etc. They would certainly get the short end of a military baton or worse, then see just see how far they get with their complaints, probably another whack for their insolence. But of course we being British just smile and put up with all this nonsense and disruption,that's why we are the dustbin of the world for all these asylum seekers, economic migrants and the rest of the useless flotsam and jetsam from around the world.
- Paul, South London, 20/05/2009 16:02
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i seriously think it is high time that SOMEONE organises a demonstration against the Tamils demonstrating!
- Wq (Ex Pat), Frankfurt, Germany, 20/05/2009 15:56
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£8 million and counting.
- Schweigen, London, UK, 20/05/2009 15:41
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Why don't they just go away, the police are already stretched budget wise, and this is so unecessary. It is putting tourist off visting, which is something we don't need in this period of downturn. The war is over in Sri Lanka - job done. What is the point of continuing with this demo.
- Adam, London, 20/05/2009 15:38
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I am afraid that the methods employed by many of the Tamil demonstrators,such as positioning young children and babes in arms at the edges of the gathering where the Police line is,have done little to win my symapthy to their cause.
Anyone who deliberately uses children in this way deserves no support from decent people.
Local authorities should be examining pictures of these demonstrations very carefully and take appropriate action against certain parents.
The Police are being turned into laughing stocks,is there some sort of invisible exclusion zone around Westminster that allows all illegal acts to remain unpinished?
- Mo Ali, Harrow,England, 20/05/2009 15:07
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So why don't the police threaten a summer of water cannon?It just might cool them down.I really don't care about these people and it's quite obvious they don't care about us.
- Steve, London, 20/05/2009 14:51
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I'm fed up with the whole thing. They are classed as terrorists in Sri Lanka and have killed countless numbers of people with their bombs and yet we are treating them with kid gloves here. I thought we were against all terrorism not just Al Quada. They should all be rounded up and sent home - I doubt they have visas anyway and they certainly aren't doing any studying if they can spend weeks demonstrating and stopping Londoners from going about their normal business.
- Penny, Ealing, Ealing, UK, 20/05/2009 14:49
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Jock, London - why do you assume that when the Tamils do work "a lot of it will be done cash in hand on the black economy"? What evidence do you base that statement on? Is it just blind ignorance? Surely the MPs' expenses row should prove to you that you don't need a different colour skin to be on the fiddle?
- Colour Blind, London, 20/05/2009 14:29
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The LTTE gangsters who have dominated Western Tamils for years have to find another excuse to continue squeezing money and resources out of the Tamil migrants in the UK. This continued campaign of "protest" is just a cover for their extortion rackets to continue. If they were really interested in helping the suffering Tamils of Sri Lanka they'd be collecting resources to help them. Wake up Tamils of London, you're just being manipulated by some pretty evil people.
- Candidly, Kandy, Sri lanka, 20/05/2009 14:21
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I was one of those few who was stuck in London and it ended up taking 2.5 hours to get home due to the Tamil protests. This has occurred a couple of times and yes it was unfathomably irritating. However, what I find even more frustrating are the people who write contentious, inflammatory and borderline racist comments on walls such as this. Do you genuinely think that because 1000 angry demonstrators delayed our journeys home, that all Tamils should be rounded up and ejected from our country? You are the same few who after 7/7 thought all Muslims were terrorists and needed to be exiled.
The unfortunate irony is that the majority of my relatives fought in both World Wars for the freedom that so many of you allude to. I can safely say that they, and many of their friends, would be turning in their graves at some of the comments on here.
Grow up.
- Edward, London, 20/05/2009 13:55
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Push them all into the Thames. Saves us a lot of money i.e benefits and police resources and we are probably doing some of them a favour by giving them a good bath as they have been there for sometime and some may need one!
- S Eaton, Ealing, London, 20/05/2009 13:36
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This is developing into a quasi-insurgency.
- Schweigen, London, UK, 20/05/2009 13:22
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Cathy, London. what a load of bull. most people in London i'm glad to say don't give a stuff about the Tamils and want them off our streets so we can go about our work......
- Jonny, London, 20/05/2009 13:16
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Cathy - it's people like you who are sending this country to hell in a handcart. People in this country, and particularly London, are fed up of these protestors. It's time for the police to end the softly, softly approach and forcibly remove them.
If you want to ask who contributes to society, why don't you start by asking the Tamil Tiger sympathisers at Parliment Square? They've been sitting on their backsides for the best part of a month, doing nothing but costing this country money. And when they do work, I can guess that a lot of it will be done for cash in hand on the black economy.
I, on the other hand, work 6 days a week, and pay NI and tax.
- Jock, London, 20/05/2009 12:58
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As a British Tamil, I think the demonstrators have done a great job of drawing attention to what has long been a desperate situation in Sri Lanka. However, little more can be achieved in this way and it's now time to stop.
What concerns me more are some of the comments from people visiting this site. Think about what you're saying. This is fast looking like a BNP recruiting ground.
- Extremely Concerned, London, 20/05/2009 12:49
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Cathy you know why we wont get involved - becos quite righly so you mentioned iraq - people probably like you demand we do something, people who claimed to be from iraq but sitting in the UK with nice homes and benefits, told us we had to do something and we did! then those same people have and still are campaigning for us to leave them alone to run their country!!! We cannot win, we have enough problems in our own country and to be honest with you these demonstrations are shocking - why should hinest hard working people have to put up with the delay to get home after a 13 hour day and what about our tourist industry that we need...get them out of parliament square. How come they dont have jobs to go to anyway?? I know I couldnt indefinately decide to sit out in parliament square indefinately- bcos i work hard and I don't claim benefits!!This country has taken way too much crap over the years and this time it has incensed most Londoners that we are allowing these people to disrupt london and use resources the way they are.
- Nicky, london, 20/05/2009 12:41
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What are they protesting now for since the war is over? Go and protest somewhere else without wasting Londoners tax money and police resources. Whatever sympathy Londoners had have been lost now. Don't make things worse, stop these protests and let us get on with our daily lives.
Also who in their right mind brings children and toddlers to a violent protest? Isn't this another form of 'human shield' ?
- Ralph, London, 20/05/2009 12:34
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Funny Tamil Tiger supporters complaining about British democracy when the LTTE were trying to establish a Marxist state in Sri Lanka!
Tempers are clearly fraying so please don't class all Tamils as the same as this lot.
- D Marks, London, UK, 20/05/2009 12:29
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Tamil Tigers have distroyed sri Lanka for last 30 years. Now they try to distroy UK. Alraedy these illegal demos at westminister have cost £8 million (ONLY for Policing)from British Tax payers thanks to some stupid opportunistic British politicians.
- Alaha Jude, kingston, UK, 20/05/2009 12:19
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yes, what an amazing comments from people in democratic society.they may not want to go back do you want to know why because they would be killed by rest of others, thats what sri lankan govt do. when something happen in gaza, iraq, uk and us send troops there why,
why they cannot do something for Tamils,
Sri lankan govt may be happy today by killing innocent tamils, but one day history would be rewritten and tamils would enjoy their freedom as well,
you have not suffereed the torture, slavery and oppression, thatswhy you cannot see properly,
when other people indulge in drugs just to get hyper, tamils fought because they were oppressed.
it is the time to do something,
what an advice to check their immigration status, don;t blame the immigrants , they do contribute to the economy as well, don;t they. instead of blaming the immigratns for downfall in this country and look into u and ask what did you do for this country, anything useful?
- Cathy, london, UK, 20/05/2009 11:09
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Don't these people have jobs to go to, or are they all on benefits?
- David, London, 20/05/2009 11:02
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Thats fine. Perhaps now the authorities can start looking closely at these people's immigration status. i would probably guess most of them are scrounging illegals. While I have to graft at work for 12 hours 5 days a week these ponsers do what ever they like for a cause none of us care about!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- Jonny, London, 20/05/2009 10:57
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Phil London
Very well said, but you can bet none of them will have visa, dhss checks made etc, and as for any being deported, well dont hold your breath.
What did jakee spliff say the other week, about keeping the wrong people out?
Some nonsense about it being a privelege to come here, recognising our values, etc, etc, etc.
And still no proper riot police like the pro hunters got, or the G20.
- P Staker, London, 20/05/2009 10:48
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Wembley = New Eelam
- John, Sheffield, 20/05/2009 10:39
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Phil, of course they don't have student visas. These are all proud British subjects. Holders of British passports and ready to vociferously defend the rights of our great nation........oh, hang on, no they're not.
No, so pleased to have been granted asylum, and exhausted from two or three decades of suffering, they've decided to continue the same fight that caused them to leave in the first place.
Either shut up and enjoy the country that gave you sanctity, or please go back and show how much you feel about it.........feel free to drop your UK Passport in the bin at Heathrow on your way through.
- Tom, London, 20/05/2009 10:37
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Our last generation fought for our freedoms. These wasters, too cowardly to fight for theirs, are just leaches on that freedom. Examine their immigration and DHS status.
- Fred, Horsham, 20/05/2009 10:28
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I have never known demonstrators generate so much ill feeling from Londoners from all walks of life as these Tamils. Any sympathy many of us had for their cause has been totally evaporated by their lengthy and disruptive presence on our streets. If, as the article says, most of them are students why can't we withdraw their student visas (they are obviously not studying) and send them home?
- Phil, London, 20/05/2009 09:58
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obviously these people didn't feel strong enough about the cause to leave this country and go back to sri lanka and help the fight!! big and brave in the safety of parliament square!!
- Another Bloke, london, 20/05/2009 09:29
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Round them up and send them packing.
- Anon, uk, 20/05/2009 08:41
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