Teacher protest intensifies - 44 arrested and subject to antigen tests

The number of people arrested during the teachers' agitation held near the Presidential Secretariat has increased to 44.

Police Media Spokesman Senior DIG Ajith Rohana stated that this includes 22 male teachers, 16 female teachers and 6 outsiders who participated in the protest.

The Medical Officer of Health of the Colombo Municipal Council is conducting rapid antigen tests on these 44 persons.

The arrested persons are due to be produced before court tomorrow, the police spokesman said.

The Police Media Spokesman stated that two special police teams were deployed to prevent the protests due to the prevailing situation in the country.

However, since the protesters did not respond positively to the notice, several other police teams were deployed to arrest them.

The police also seized 10 vehicles.

The 42 protesters will be prosecuted on charges of obstruction, being a member of an illegal assembly, blocking a main road under the National Highways Act and violating the quarantine rules in force.

The protest march started from Kottawa, Welisara, Kadawatha and Moratuwa this morning and reached the Presidential Secretariat on four roads this afternoon.

As a result, there was heavy traffic congestion on the Galle Face Road as well as the surrounding roads.

When the protesters came in front of the Presidential Secretariat, they started honking their horns.

Later, two officials from the Presidential Secretariat arrived and had a discussion with the General Secretary of the Ceylon Teachers Union Joseph Stalin and the Secretary of the Ceylon Teachers' Service Union Mahinda Jayasinghe.

In addition, several teachers 'and principals' unions launched a protest march from Kandy to Colombo this morning.

The march which started near the Kandy Public Market is scheduled to reach Colombo next Monday.

Simultaneously, a petition with one million signatures will be signed