An estimated 300 plus Sri Lankan Tamil expatriates and their supporters in the UK were gathered in a demonstration at the Arrivals Point at London's Heathrow Airport, UK on Monday (Nov 29) night to protest at the arrival of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who came to the UK on a special visit to address the Oxford Union, and also hold discussions with political leaders.Reports from London reveal that UNP Parliamentarian Jayalath Jayawarana and Left Front Leader Wickremabahu Karunarathna were also involved in the organizing of these protests and they, together with the LTTE are also organizing a rally tomorrow at the Oxford Union where President Rajapaksa is due to address. Sri Lankans in London are inquiring as to why these parliamentarians, elected by the people of Sri Lanka are working against Sri Lanka with the LTTE.
They failed in their attempt to make a show of their opposition to President Rajapaksa, not knowing that important visitors such as Heads of State and their delegations do not use the normal passenger Arrivals Point. They stayed shouting anti-Sri Lankan, anti-Mahinda Rajapaksa and pro-LTTE slogans and displaying pro-LTTE banners for several hours before and after the arrival of the flight with the President around 10 pm on Monday night, which they failed to meet. Passengers who arrived on several flights on Monday night and those who had come to meet them at the Arrivals Point showed considerable displeasure at the obstruction caused by the demonstrators.
These pictures of the demonstration were issued by the organizers of the protest, the Tamil Youth Organization (TYO - UK). The TYO-UK and other pro-LTTE organizations are mobilizing support from the pro-LTTE Tamil expatriates and other extremist and anti-Sri Lankan UK citizens and politicians to carry out further protests during the President's short stay in the UK.
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