“War criminal”, “terrorist”, “go home” – a cacophony of angry chants reverberated around the arrivals hall at Heathrow airport as over 500 Tamils protested on Sunday 3 June. The expected visitor who aroused such wrath? The butcher of the Tamil people in Sri Lanka – president Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Among the crowd were Tamil Solidarity activists whose posters and leaflets, stating “Wanted for war crimes, not wanted in Britain”, were snatched up by the crowd, as well as staff and non-Tamils in the airport.
Outrageously the president and warmonger-in-chief Rajapaksa was invited to attend the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations.
Rajapaksa was predictably a no-show but the protest evoked some of the passion and readiness to fight back of the mass protests of 2009. Importantly, the past three years’ experience has shown who can and cannot be trusted to support the struggle. Capitalist politicians and their organisations such as the UN have failed utterly. Many of those at Heathrow, particularly young people, were very welcoming to Tamil Solidarity and now want to play active parts in building this important campaign.
Sarah Sachs-Eldridge
Tamil Solidarity meeting
Saturday 23 June, ULU, Malet Street, WC1E 7HY
3-4pm Young people discuss and plan action; 4-5pm Where now for Eelam struggle – what’s the role for the diaspora?
Open meeting with reports from Malaysia and Tamil Nadu
