Sri Lanka: University teachers' association to come out in support of Galle Face protest on Tuesday

Sri Lanka's Federation of University Teachers' Association (FUTA) has decided to go on a one-day strike on Tuesday in support of the ongoing Galle Face protest which demanded the resignation of the President and the government, local media reported.

The FUTA has planned to start the protest march from the University of Colombo to Galle Face at 1 pm on Tuesday, Colombo Page reported. Earlier, the collective of unions and mass organisations declared April 20 as a national day of protest and to mobilise the working masses who will continue to strike in the workplace, reported Colombo Page.

Ravi Kumudesh, President of the Federation of Health Professionals said that he felt disgusted towards the working people of the country for turning a blind eye to the people who are fighting for an independent public opinion.

Vivimarie Vanderpoorten, a professor at the Department of Language Studies at Open University in Colombo, told the Free Press Journal that the protests are also about the broader issues in Sri Lanka. “We are not just demanding the resignation of Gotabaya Rajapaksa but also asking for reforms in the country. Our protest is also against the 20th Amendment which eroded democratic changes brought about by the 19th Amendment,” said Vivimarie, who is a member of the FUTA.

Sri Lanka is battling a severe economic crisis with food and fuel scarcity affecting a large number of the people in the island nation. The economy has been in a free-fall since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sri Lanka is also facing a foreign exchange shortage, which has, incidentally, affected its capacity to import food and fuel, leading to the power cuts in the country. The shortage of essential goods forced Sri Lanka to seek assistance from friendly countries.