UK Tiger demonstrators drain Police budget

by Tina Edward GUNAWARDHANA in London

The ongoing demonstration outside the UK Parliament in Westminster has since its inception 43 days ago cost the country’s largest police force almost 8 million pound sterling revealed, Met Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson.

Speaking to a Home Affairs Committee he said that the demonstration meant that the police force was extraordinarily stretched. He added that “we have to provide such a level of resources that it is reducing policing on the streets of London”

During the last 43 days these pro LTTE supporters had been there around the clock, waving flags with the Tiger insignia in violation of the UK Anti Terrorism laws. In addition, they had been creating a cacophony of noise beating drums and also taking over the streets surrounding Big Ben and the Parliament. These actions caused traffic chaos, crippled the transport system and caused untold suffering to the general taxpaying British public.

Initially these demonstrations were held without permission but with the alleged intervention of LTTE supporting British MP’s. Permission had been given for only 50 demonstrators to be there, but on most days this number exceeded.

The only time I saw less than ten demonstrators was at 4 a.m. on last Saturday morning when I drove past them to see how many were there braving the early morning cold weather and drizzle.

On a couple of occasions the demonstrators had made their way to the Indian High Commission in Holborn and protested there. On the first occasion they had pelted stones and other missiles and managed to break the bullet proof windows of the Indian High commission. They have also staged demonstrations outside the Sri Lankan embassy several times and have pelted stones at the embassy.

Articles in the British press on the demonstrations encouraged a flurry of reader responses where British people expressed their anger that the Pro-LTTE supporters were holding their capital to ransom. Many made comments that this was not a problem for the British to get involved in. What little sympathy the Londoners especially had for the Tamil cause totally evaporated when they saw the high handed antics of the demonstrators.

Several protestors jumped in to the river Thames. This prompted one British person to write in lamenting that there were no sharks in the Thames! Other readers urged the police to bring in water canons and flush the protesters down the Thames. Such was the ire these demonstrators evoked.