Police use tear gas in Dambulla protest

13 December 2011 10:19 am

Police used tear gas to disperse a large number of protesting traders in Dambulla. The protest was against the government regulation to make plastic crates compulsory when transporting vegetables and fruits, a reporter stated.

Protesting farmers and traders set fire to a bus, pelted stones at passing vehicles and attacked police officers.

The police fired tear gas to disperse the protesters but to no avail. The unruly crowd pelted stones and assaulted the police officers with clubs and entered the Dambulla Economic Centre by force and caused extensive damage to the property.

They also pelted stones at the vehicles. Several police officers and protesters were injured in the incident. (News and Pix by Kanchana Kumara Ariyadasa)