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In the first game of the second day’s race, they would not be stopped as they made their way through the arched tunnel and climbed the historic Galle Fort walls. This time, neither the police nor the military, neither the police nor the military, are ready to stand in the way. They took up the entire wall overlooking the Galle International Stadium, waving flags and banners, chanting that they had regained their freedom.
Ironically, the only reason most of them remain in Galle is because the government shuts down public transport to make sure people from here can’t joinHe plans to hold a mass protest in Colombo on Saturday. Minimum fuel supplies and a ban on the sale of petrol to private cars have eliminated any other chance for them to reach the capital. So they decided to pop up in droves, from various southern areas around Galle to this sleepy coastal town, hop on trucks and tractors and make some noise.
By noon, the voices on the streets were clear and the Sri Lankan people had “reclaimed” their country.Or it looks like this, based on the Protesters in Colombo Finally rushed into the presidential residence. And, among other things, take over his pool. From selfies of Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s former bedroom to others helping themselves to whatever food is left in the large kitchen, more incredible pictures follow. It didn’t take long for them to enter the presidential palace, which has been the epicenter of the anti-government movement for nearly three months.
Back in Galle, the spirits of the surging crowd kept rising as news of the Colombo scene continued to infiltrate. Not that the atmosphere here was gloomy to begin with. From the moment the first protesters of about 500 or so marched to the gates of Galle Stadium and improvised a podium on the border wall at the roundabout, the excitement seemed to have reached its climax. Around the time the Sri Lankan bowlers started taking charge of the middle suit with a couple of quick Australian wickets. From there, they took turns chanting slogans and giving speeches, each as passionate as the next, with the word “aragalaya” (sinhala for struggle) being the most repeated.
“It’s not just a fight with the government. This is a movement calling for a new Sri Lanka. What we’ve seen across the country through these protests is that we’re finally ready to come together and get rid of all our racial and racial divisions and start a new inning with a focus on progress,” said Damis, an organizer on duty. .
“To the south is the Rajapaksa mainland. So seeing so many thousands of people from the region openly expressing their anxieties about this family shows how united Sri Lanka has become, ironically, as a result of these people’s destruction The way of the country,” added Isuru, a farmer who had been walking for three years to protest for hours.
While the crowd consisted of people of different ages and backgrounds, the speakers represented all aspects of Sri Lankan society. From teachers to workers to nurses and even Buddhist monks. Most of the banners carried similar messages, ranging from asking the president to step down to thanking the Australian cricket team for coming. There are also some witty ones, like the Rajapaksa family representing the Money Heist characters.
On the other side of the road, on the platform outside Galle train station, similar speeches have been played throughout the day. The middle road is used for demonstrations and skits. Any vehicle with fuel left in the tank is good enough to be a part of it. From auto rickshaws to tractors to jeeps to motorcycles and even cranes. They went up and down, people jumped up and down. At one stage, a protester dressed as deposed former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, wearing a mask, was dramatically slapped and slandered, just for effect. Meanwhile, jeeps carrying the Sri Lankan flag continued to circle the ground and cricket continued unabated.
However, the revolution was not broadcast on television. If you follow cricket, it’s almost impossible for you to spot any of the thousands gathered outside the ground. The live DJ apparently had permission to turn up the volume in an attempt to block out some of the chants and chants from the protest. But they won’t succeed either.
Some protesters, especially at the top of the fort wall, did keep a close eye on the crickets. But on a day when Sri Lanka put on the best performance of the series, it was what happened off the field that mattered.
Bharat Sundaresan is an Adelaide-based cricket writer and commentator, currently based in Galle covering Sri Lanka’s Australian cricket tour
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