On 29 October 2015, about 1500 HNDA students launched a peaceful protest march from the Fort Railway Station towards the Ministry of Higher Education with the intention of discussing their demands and grievances with the Education Minister. Barricades and road blocks placed by the Police were preventing their march from advancing forward. Students peacefully requested a discussion with the Minister from the Police officers present, who thereafter advised them to remain until the Minister arrived. After a while, however, the Police officers informed the students that they will not be able to meet the Minister and threatened the use of force if the students refused to leave. The students calmly maintained that they will not leave without meeting the Minister. At that point, the Police began using water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowd without any warning. While the students moved away to wash their eyes in an attempt to relieve the pain caused by tear gas, around 200 policemen started brutally attacking the students - who were already weakened by tear gas - with batons and wooden poles. Around 30 students were injured and female students were also attacked. Some students were assaulted even after surrendering to the Police. About 39 students were unlawfully arrested, prior to being released on bail. The Petitioners claim the brutal attack, degrading treatment and arbitrary arrests of students, as well as the restriction of their freedom of expression and movement by the Police force was a violation of their Fundamental Rights guaranteed by the Constitution (Annex 2). 2.4 Verbal Statement by the 2nd Complainant. The convener of the inter-student association of the Higher National Diploma Institute Dhammika Ruwan stated that the protest was commenced to demand: their course gets the same status as the Commerce degree and the monthly payment of 5000 rupees for the Mahapola scholarship as for State university students. They started the protest at Fort Railway Station and walked towards the Higher Education Ministry at Ward Place. From the beginning of the protest until they reached Ward Place, the police let them proceed without any obstruction. At Ward Place, when the students informed the Police that they wished to meet the Minister of Higher Education, the police warned that they were not allowed to enter the Ministry premises. Students were brutally attacked after tear gas and water cannons were deployed. Furthermore, students lying on the ground and weakened by water cannons and tear gas were also attacked. It was stated that neither prior appointments nor authorization to meet the relevant officials from the Ministry of Higher Education had been taken in advance; but they had publicized their intention to launch a protest through the media a week before (Annex 3). 3. Collaborative evidence in support of the Petitioners’ complaint 81