'Occupy the Square':

Cultural Affairs Dept unmoved

by Kishani Samaraweera

Despite the short-lived victory of 'Occupy the Square' protesters, the Department of Cultural Affairs continues to stand its ground that Independence Square is a monument and not a public park.Director of the Department of Cultural Affairs, Anusha Gokula Fernando, said people have mistaken this historically important monument for a park and behave as they wish.

"Independence Square is under our purview because it is a monument. People need to know the importance of this place when they visit it," said Fernando.

She said there is no restriction, whatsoever, for any person to visit the premises. But they should keep in mind that it is an icon of the country's proud history. Referring to the recent incident where a couple was evicted from Independence Square, Fernando said according to information, the couple had misbehaved and only then were they asked to leave the place.

"I can assure you that the security officers will never oust anyone from the premises if they behaved properly. This is yet another unwarranted issue which was blown out of proportion by the media," she said.