the Mutuwal police station hours later after his family filed a complaint with the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka.10 The arrest was made under Section 120 of the Penal code for “excite or attempt to excite feelings of disaffection to the State”. 1.2.2 State violence on 6 May 2022 On 6 May protestors gathered on the road leading to Parliament in Battaramulla. While the protest was largely peaceful, police reacted with heavy-handed use of tear gas over several hours. The protests took place in the backdrop of an islandwide Hartal declared by trade unions in response to the worsening economic crisis in the country. At the parliament vicinity, the use of tear gas impacted journalists who were covering the event11 as well as children,12 and others who were participating peacefully in the protest. As violence escalated with police attacking protestors with tear gas and water cannon, the President imposed a second state of emergency within five weeks in the country.13 In this instance the police used disproportionate and non-targeted means such as tear gas, to respond to protestors who were attempting to approach Parliament road despite road blocks. Again, instead of facilitating the right to peaceful assembly, the police obstructed the right to peaceful protest and used excessive non-lethal force to make peaceful protestors disperse. 1.2.3 State violence on 9 May 2022 On 9 May 2022, brutal violence was unleashed on peaceful and unarmed protestors by progovernment goons while security forces and police took inadequate measures to ensure the rights of peaceful protestors. Rajapaksa loyalists numbering around 3,000 persons (Rajapaksa loyalists) met at the residence of former prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa before marching to the MynaGoGama, the peaceful protest site in front of the Prime Minister’s official residence, Temple Trees.14 They smashed the temporary structures there and attacked protestors before marching to Galle Face where anti-government protestors had been camped out for weeks, peacefully calling primarily on the President, the Prime Minister and their supporters to resign. 15 JDS. 2 April 2022. Global Voice. 17 May 2022. “Covering the economic crisis in Sri Lanka: The cost of pursuing journalism”. https://globalvoices.org/2022/05/17/covering-the-economic-crisis-in-sri-lanka-the-cost-of-pursuing-journalism/ 12 The Morning. 9 May 2022. “NCPA to look into kids hurt by tear gas”. https://www.themorning.lk/ncpa-to-lookinto-kids-hurt-by-tear-gas/ 13 The Guardian. 6 May 2022. “Sri Lankan president calls second state of emergency in five weeks”. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/06/sri-lankan-president-calls-second-state-of-emergency-in-fiveweeks. France 24. 6 May 2022. “Sri Lanka president declares state of emergency after protests”. https://www. france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20220506-sri-lanka-police-fire-tear-gas-on-student-protesters-outside-parliament. 14 News First. 17 May 2022. “CID to record statements from 7 MPs regarding 9th May violence”. https://www.newsfirst.lk/2022/05/17/cid-to-record-statements-from-7-mps-regarding-9th-may-violence/. 15 Al Jazeera. 9 May 2022. “Sri Lanka MP among five killed as violence escalates”. https://www.aljazeera.com/ news/2022/5/9/sri-lanka-govt-supporters-attack-protesters-demolish-tents. 10 11 5