Channel 4 team greeted with protests on arrival

Tuesday, 12 November 2013 01:40 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

By Dharisha Bastians Days after the government announced it would not permit demonstrations to disrupt the Commonwealth summit, the British Broadcaster Channel 4’s media team was greeted by protests outside the main exit doors of the Bandaranaike International Airport yesterday.

The protest was staged by the Alliance to Foster National Unity and was permitted to take place amid tight security at the BIA as VIP arrivals were expected last afternoon. Members of the Alliance said that they were not only present to protest against Channel 4, but also to express their displeasure about the Government’s decision to grant the journalists a visa. Channel 4 Reporter Jonathan Miller Tweeted that the team had walked out of the Colombo airport “straight into a noisy anti-Channel 4 demo”. Accompanying the Channel 4 team was Director of the controversial No Fire Zone documentary, Callum Macrae. The demonstrators carried posters and cutouts alleging atrocities by the LTTE and claiming Channel 4 was in the Tigers’ pay. The demonstrators in a group of about 50 later resurfaced outside the Hilton Colombo Residencies where the Channel 4 team is staying and demanded that Macrae come down to the protest. Pix by Kumarasiri Prasad and Pradeep Pathirana