(COLOMBO) – At least five persons were arrested for holding a protest outside the US Embassy in Colombo, Sri Lanka on Friday, police said.
The protest organized by an unknown group calling itself the ‘People’s Struggle Movement,’ was aimed at voicing opposition to the US support for Israel in the ongoing Gaza conflict.
Tension escalated when the police moved into to stop the protesters from burning a photograph of US President Joe Biden, they said.
One police officer was injured in the melee and sought treatment in hospital.
According to police some of the protesters are also alleged to have barged into the premises of police station in the city and behaved in an aggressive manner.
They were subsequently taken into custody and are currently been detained, police added.
The Indian Ocean island-nation has opted to maintain a non-aligned position on the current Israel-Gaza conflict and intends to have cordial ties with both sides.
