The Metropolitan Police of London have made four arrests, one for violent disorder, two for public order and one for the breach for peace when the British Tamil Forum (BTF), the front organization for the banned Liberation tigers of Tamil Eelam organized a protest by blocking the Westminster bridge in front of the British parliament to demand “a ceasefire” to save the cornered, battered terrorist leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.

British police remove protesters from Westminster Bridge in Central London, on April 7, 2009

The front organization’s spokesman Suren Surendiran told a television station, “People are blocking the street because they want (a ceasefire) implemented.” In the course of the demonstration they threatened the Police saying that they would jump into River Thames if they were not allowed to speak to Prime Minister Gordon Brown. They did not get a chance of speaking to the Prime Minister and at different times two protesters did jump into River Thames who were rescued by the police and sent to hospital for treatment. Police said about 2000 participated in the demonstration.

A police statement said, “Police marine units and lifeboats were on standby after one man jumped into the River Thames and was taken to hospital.” Sources close to the British Tamil Forum said the demonstration has been held as a prelude to a bigger demonstration on the 11th of April, once again with the intention of saving the terrorist leader using British influence over the Sri Lanka government. Prabhakaran is wanted by India and Sri Lanka for the assassinations of Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Sri Lankan President Ranasinghe Premadasa.

Bringing an insurgency which had cost the lives of more than 70,000 people during many decades the Sri Lankan army killed a dozen leaders of the LTTE and cornered the most feared Velupillai Prabhakaran and his close lieutenants who escaped into a free fire zone created for civilians to escape to zones out of war danger where the refugees are taken to welfare centers.

Sri Lanka refused to declare a ceasefire as earlier ceasefire agreements have been used by the LTTE not for peace settlements but to regroup, recruit and rearm for another pro-longed war, the government said.

The United Nations say tens of thousands of people are being held as human shields by the LTTE against their will, and has urged the Sri Lankan military to protect them during a final offensive in the 17 sq km of coastal coconut groves. On Monday Sri Lanka said more than 2,100 people fled the no-fire zone where the military expects to wipe out the separatists.

As the people started sleeping with blankets in front of the Westminster parliament the police was attempting to negotiate with them. Finally there were about 500 left and the police said they would be moved. In the morning they had been moved towards the parliament square.

The British Tamil Forum members were openly demonstrating the flags of the banned terrorist movement during the demonstration and told the police by implication that they were in fact Tamil Tigers, and made no bones about it. Britain has banned the LTTE as a terrorist organization, but the LTTE operates through the British Tamil Forum as if the law is an ass.

By Walter Jayawardhana