British Tamils demonstration outside the UK Parliament

Thousands of people, largely Tamils and some British NGOs (Non-Governmental Organisation) participated in a demonstration outside the UK Parliament at the Parliament Square between 3.30pm and 6.30pm, today, Wednesday, 19 November 2008. The day was chosen as it is the Prime Minister’s Question (PMQ) day, Wednesday to have the attention of the maximum number of Members of Parliament.

Thousands of people, some with school children and babies in push-chairs turned up weathering the British winter.

There were three purposes for the demonstration, namely

1. To request the British Parliament to demand the Government of Sri Lanka to stop the genocide of Tamils

2. For the British Parliament to recognise Tamils’ right to self-determination in their homeland in Sri Lanka

3. For the British Tamils to stand in solidarity with the Tamils of Tamil Nadu and to stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Tamil Nadu in their uprising to support the Tamils of Sri Lanka and for the British Tamils to thank the people of Tamil Nadu for their unwavering support for the Tamils of Tamil Eelam

British Parliamentarians from different political parties attended the demonstration to show their support and most of them spoke to the crowd through loud hailers in support of the British Tamils’ demands. Rt. Hon Keith Vaz MP, Hon Virendra Sharma MP and Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils, Hon Siobhain McDonagh MP, Hon Susan Kramer MP, Hon Andrew Pelling MP, Hon Tom Brake MP, Hon Joan Ryan MP and Hon Barry Gardner MP were some of the Members of Parliament who attended and spoke to the crowd.