Hundreds of Tamils demonstrated in Parliament Square yesterday after a sit-in of thousands on Westminster Bridge was broken up by riot police.
The protesters alleged that men, women and young children were punched and dragged off the bridge.
Several people were arrested.
Lines of riot police stood around Parliament Square with riot vans standing by.
A police photographer took pictures of angry demonstrators and more arrests were made later.
Ndrim Sremuraman told News Line: ‘We want human rights.
‘We are protesting against what is happening in Sri Lanka.
‘There is a genocidal war against the Tamil people.
‘Yesterday we were protesting on Westminster Bridge.
‘We want negotiations. We want to save our people in Sri Lanka.’
He alleged: ‘The British police have been brutal. They were punching and shoving even little children and women.
‘Many people were hurt, more than fifteen.’
Twenty-four-year-old Lali Thasorubiny was in tears.
She alleged: ‘A policeman and woman dragged me out of the crowd.
‘Then the policeman pulled and twisted my hand three times.
‘He struck my face against the bins – he pushed me on the stony pavement.
‘My face is bruised and it is still hurting. I was crying.’
Basiah Nimal said: ‘We were peacefully sitting down on the bridge.
‘Suddenly, a crowd of police ran over us.
‘They pushed us and squashed the people.
‘Then suddenly they started to kick people with their boots.
‘We tried to move away but they would not let us go easily, they squashed us in.
‘We felt this was a deliberate attack.
‘The police started dragging us away half an hour after an MP, Simon Hughes, came to support us.
‘Hughes told us we would be able to continue our peaceful demonstration.
‘But the police decided otherwise.’
Nishanth Rajmohan, 16, said: ‘My mum was holding my little brother. The police pulled my little brother off and took him away.
‘My mother had to run after the police to get him back.’
He alleged: ‘One man had his neck broken as he was dragged away. He is in a serious condition, now.
‘A 19-year-old boy was thrown on me and the police were standing on his chest.
‘Old people were dragged away as well.
‘Police kicked and punched people, even women and little kids.
‘It’s atrocious. I can’t believe that British police can treat peaceful protesters like this.
‘We want the British government to get a cease-fire in Sri Lanka.
‘That is the main thing for us. Every day 200 people are dying there.’
