Former MP Namal Rajapaksa today condemned the assault on protesters by police officers in Colombo on Tuesday and called for an investigation into the incident.

Sri Lanka Police yesterday arrested a number of Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) members and supporters who attempted to stage a protest outside the US Embassy in Colombo in support of African-American George Floyd, whose custodial killing stoked widespread protests in America and other countries over racial injustice.

The police said they had obtained a court order preventing the gathering of protesters near the US embassy. Police said the FSP activists were arrested for violating the quarantine regulations in view of the COVID-19

However, in a Twitter message former MP and Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) member Namal Rajapaksa hit out at the ‘recent behavior’ of certain police officers saying it should not tarnish the great work done during the Covid-19 outbreak in Sri Lanka.

“The recent behaviour of some members of Sri Lanka Police shouldn’t tarnish the track record of the entire Department & the great job done during #COVID19SL.” 

“I strongly condemn the assault on protesters, & call for it to be investigated & proper action to be taken,” he tweeted.

The recent behaviour of some members of @SriLankaPolice2 shouldn't tarnish the track record of the entire Department & the great job done during #COVID19SL. I strongly condemn the assault on protesters, & call for it to be investigated & proper action to be taken. #SriLanka #lka

— Namal Rajapaksa (@RajapaksaNamal) June 10, 2020