The Sri Lankan government’s offensive against the Tamil people is rarely covered by the US press, and this contributed to the lack of recognition on the faces of many who passed our protest. This was all the more reason to draw attention to ethnic cleansing waged by the Rajapakse government and their junior partners among the Indian political class. It was decided to leaflet and protest outside the Sri Lankan Consulate in Manhattan due to greater street visibility compared to the Indian Consulate.
Over 100 leaflets were distributed, even though the security guards and two employees of the Sri Lankan government called the police to remove us from outside of the premises. The police in this instance, understood that we were within our rights and allowed us to continue our informational picket. We will continue to distribute material from the Stop the Slaughter Campaign at every opportunity that comes our way.
Margaret (on behalf of ‘Justice’ in New York)