IUSF protest: Eight arrested, five cops injured

Eight people including a Buddhist Monk who behaved in an unlawful manner during yesterday’s Inter University Students’ Federation(IUSF) protest at Town Hall were arrested, the Police said.

Five Policemen who were injured while trying to disperse members of the IUSF who engaged in the protest defying a court ruling were admitted to the Narahenpita Police hospital, the Police media unit said.

Meanwhile,IUSF sources said that over 10 members who participated in the protest were admitted to hospital with injuries sustained due to alleged Police assaults.

The Police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse the protesters who blocked roads and caused traffic jams, inconveniencing the public.

The IUSF said yesterday’s protest was mainly over abolishing the South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine.

In addition the IUSF demanded the government to take action on university admission shortages, to allocate six percent of funds to education, to refrain from money charges within school systems, stop selling government organisations and to refrain from making ETCA agreements between India and Sri Lanka.