University Tamil societies from across the UK have released a statement condemning the racist attacks outside the Oval on Monday.

21 Tamil societies joined together to denounce the attacks and commend the peaceful campaign of the activists, while questioning the lack of response from police forces to assaults.

"We the British Tamil youth are shocked by such racially motivated attacks and the malicious and spiteful slogans such as "F*** Tamils” and other expletives hurled at the peaceful men and women, several of whom sustained injuries from the incident. At this time we commend the Tamil activists caught up in the violence, for remaining steadfast in their purpose as peaceful campaigners even in the face of such violence and abuse."

 

"As British students and citizens of the United Kingdom, we find it abhorrent that there was space for such racist violence and hate speech in London, the capital of a country that is well known for clamping down on racial intolerance. Worse still no arrests were made in connection with the assaults on Tamil activists, despite attacks being carried out in the presence of the police."

"The Sri Lankan structure has clearly, within its country and internationally, convinced its people that they have an indomitable right over the Tamil people. The violence that occurred outside the Oval is a drop in the ocean when compared to the decades of ongoing genocide faced by Tamils at the hands of security forces and state-endorsed mobs in Sri Lanka. "

"Now, more than ever, when assault on Tamil activists happens not only in Sri Lanka, but around the world, we call for the International Cricket Council and English and Wales Cricket Board to boycott Sri Lankan cricket until there is an Independent International Investigation into war crimes and human rights abuses as well as the restoration of full political rights."

See here for full statement.

See the undersigned universities below.