No More Silence: Colombo Rises for Palestine
Photo courtesy of Nisheli Pieris
“We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.” Nelson Mandela
Many Sri Lankans lead difficult lives, grappling with the ever rising cost of living that puts less food on the table, adversely impacts children’s education and cuts out leisure activities. But leaving behind their own challenges, trials and tribulations, thousands of people found the time and put in the effort to prioritise humanity above hardship, taking to the streets in a wave of defiance to protest against the ongoing genocide in Gaza, a place thousands of miles away. Most Sri Lankans have probably even met anyone from Gaza yet they feel a deep kinship with the Palestinians and empathise with their pain and suffering.
People came with hand painted placards, Palestinian flags draped around their shoulders, keffiyehs tied around their heads and chants that reverberated through Colombo’s streets. Their voices were not simply voices of dissent; they were voices of conscience. They demanded justice, freedom and dignity, echoing the cries of Palestinians enduring bombardment, starvation and displacement.
This was not just a protest; it was a movement. The march connected Colombo to a wider regional push across six Asian countries and to a global initiative that aimed to send over 150 vessels to Gaza in an act of defiance against the Israeli blockade. Every step was linked to a collective demand from millions worldwide: break the siege, end the genocide and protect human lives.
It was a reminder that for decades Sri Lanka has stood firmly for Palestinian self-determination. The country, scarred by its own conflict, understood the human cost of war and occupation. For many Sri Lankans, the issue was not abstract geopolitics but an immediate moral question – if Sri Lanka had suffered from the civil war, if families had lost children in Mullivaikkal, then how could they remain silent while Palestinian parents buried the mutilated bodies of their babies?
The protest was remarkable not only for the size of the crowd but also for its diversity. Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and Christians marched side by side. Entire families came together. There were mothers carrying babies in their arms, fathers hoisting children on their shoulders, young people draped in Palestinian flags and elderly men and women who had lived through the worst of the civil war.
Some families had traveled from Jaffna. Their presence was symbolic. For those who had lost children to the violence of war, the images from Gaza were not distant tragedies but painful reminders. The sight of malnourished children, bombed out schools and grieving parents cut too close to home.
For years, solidarity marches for Palestine in Colombo had been modest. But now, with images of children starving in Gaza broadcast across social media platforms, silence was no longer tolerable. Organizers announced plans for a larger protest at Galle Face. The message was clear: this was not a one off but the beginning of a sustained movement, one that would not only demand change abroad but also push Sri Lanka to reflect on its own policies at home.
The most powerful moments were often the quietest ones: a child holding a sign that read Stop Killing Kids, an elderly woman wiping tears as she listened to a speech and a group of teenagers sitting on the pavement sharing water bottles and stories of why they came.
Groundviews spoke to a cross section of people who participated in the march.
“As Sri Lankans across whatever political divide, whatever religious divide, whatever cultural divide and whatever language barriers, have always been passionately for the freedom of Palestine, freedom of the people of Palestine and the safety of the people of Palestine. That has been our concern and our cause. Seeing the atrocities that are happening in Gaza, we are deeply hurt. We as Sri Lankans can raise our voices and add to the voices from across the world. We will use everything that is diplomatically available to stop this turmoil in Gaza and call on them to stand by the UN resolution. Why do you have to bring Israel as one of the countries to come in visa free? Visa free is not only for them, it is for many other countries too. If this is being misused by certain countries or certain people, we will definitely take action. If there is any breach of the conditions under which these visas are issued, we will definitely look into it. As a government, we always have been for an independent state of Palestine,” said Deputy Speaker Rizvie Salih.
“I’m very happy today that as Sri Lankans we have got together in order to protest and to raise our voices that we are with the people of Palestine, with the people of Gaza. Although we are a little late, we will continue doing this until our government takes a stance with regard to their relationship with Israel. We don’t want anyone who is killing children and babies to come here and to enjoy our beautiful country. We want the government to take a stance with regard to that. We as a country are going through a lot of economic crises but we want our humanity to be above our basic needs. So humanity comes first. This is why today you see people from all walks of life, Muslims, Buddhists, Christians and Hindus gathered here. We can create this momentum and pressure the Western countries and pressure the government so that they take a stance,” said Arkham Nooramid.
“We know what it is like to lose children. That is why we are here. That is why we march,” said a young father from Jaffna.
“The protest has a good turnout. When people stand together in solidarity, you can feel something. This is happening all over the world. Sri Lanka is a very small country and in own our way we are showing what we feel. This is a live streamed genocide, which is something I have never seen before. It is shocking. I know that it’s happened before but it’s just being allowed and condoned by the rest of the world,” said a protester who did not want to be identified.
