Tamil Solidarity Old Trafford protest

Photo Hugh Caffrey (Click to enlarge)

Tamil Solidarity (TS) organised a protest in front of Lancashire County Cricket Club when Sri Lanka played England on 9th July. We leafleted all the gates and gave out nearly 2,000 leaflets.

Up to 50 mainly young people turned out to the protest, including several trade unionists, a dozen people from Liverpool, and many from all around Greater Manchester.

Several had heard about the protest through Facebook. Others, who came to watch the match, helped our protest and leafleted other cricket fans.

We demanded of the Sri Lankan government: Equal rights now, an end to all discrimination and racism, justice for victims of the war, and massive creation of jobs and housing.

Tamil Solidarity (TS) organised a protest in front of Lancashire County Cricket Club when Sri Lanka played England on 9th July against the war crimes of the Sri Lankan government, photo by Hugh Caffrey (Click to enlarge)

Outside the busiest Club gate, we held two banners seen by everyone coming from the Metrolink or Manchester United's car parking. One of them said: 'Massacres not forgotten' and '40,000 Tamils killed in 3 weeks'; the other said: 'Stop the discrimination' and 'Cricket for everyone'.

Our placards' slogans included: 'Workers' rights now', Equal rights now', and 'Punish the war criminals'.

Our new leaflet announced a Tamil Solidarity national public meeting:

'Where is Sri Lanka going? How can we organise?' Sunday 6 November, 1-3pm, University of London Union, Malet Street, central London, WC1E 7HY

Keerthikan, Tamil Solidarity

This version of this article was first posted on the Socialist Party website on 10 July 2011 and may vary slightly from the version subsequently printed in The Socialist.

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