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Tens of thousands march to Polikandy

Tens of thousands of people have joined one of the largest rallies in the Tamil homeland since the end of the armed conflict in 2009, as they marched to Polikandi to conclude a five-day long campaign across the Tamil homeland.

The rally commenced from Kilinochchi and made its way to the northern-most point of the Tamil homeland in Polikandy. Over the past five days, it has crossed all eight districts in the North-East, starting from Pottuvil in Amparai.

As the rally reached Nelliady, the hometown of the LTTE's first Black Tiger Captain Miller, a minute’s silence was held in his honour in the town.

Mothers of the disappeared, clergy from various religions and youth were amongst those who joined, with estimates of more than 50,000 people in attendance.

In Nallur, marchers also stopped to pay tribute at a monument for Lt Col Thileepan, a political wing leader of the LTTE who fasted to death, in a protest appealing to the Indian government to honour pledges made to the Tamil people.

Crowds congregated at Polikandy, where a stone marker was laid to commemorate the protest. 

"The people’s great uprising protest," read the stone. "Pottyuvil to Polikandy."

As the rally began earlier this morning, collages of newspaper clippings featuring controversial headlines about Tamil politicians mixed with fake clippings were dropped all over Kilinochchi town on the planned #P2P march route.

At Kilinochchi depot junction there was a heavy Sri Lankan security presence, with police officers and military intelligence officials are taking pictures and videos of protestors and journalists.

See more on the protest and its aims here:

Tamil civil society outline demands of P2P protest to UN

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