Colombo saw an unplanned but large event on October 30th as thousands turned out to protest the sudden change of government late last Friday. For the first time in its long democratic history, Sri Lanka had a transfer of power without an election or vote in Parliament.
One unusual thing about the protest was that it did not greatly disrupt life in Colombo. As you can see from the aerial shot above, most of the crowd was gathered away from the main road, near the mosque. Lanes were created and kept for traffic to pass.
At the Liberty Roundabout itself, people were visible but traffic was mostly able to keep moving.
The crowd was also notably not drunk or disruptive as some protests can be.
What the protest was about was people from all walks of life asking why they weren't considered when such a heavy decision was made.
Signs were made, and held steadfast as traffic slowly seeped through the crowded streets. What was prevalent was a unified cry against the apparent breach of Sri Lanka's Constitution.
It was a peaceful and respectful protest in the heart of Colombo. It was an unplanned event for an unplanned and sudden change in government. Despite the disruption in democracy, people didn't disrupt the streets. Civil society has said that these protests will continue every day from 4:30 to 6:30 until Parliament is convened.
