Tamils take over the streets outside the UK parliament

Thousands of Tamil protesters have staged a sit down protest outside the British parliament as MPs returned to work after their Easter break.

The morning began with the Tamils of all generations penned behind wire caging on the grass in front of parliament. Previously they had been confined to the pavements.

A little before 10am a group of mainly young Tamils challenged the police at the north east corner of the Square. At first they were pushed back by a small number of officers. Then they tried again. This time they broke through. Spilling onto the road. The police tried to maintain control. And for a time, measured in minutes, the one hundred or so demonstrators were held behind police lines. Encouraged by this success another group broke free. And the first group soon united with their friends pushing past the police.

The police, looking for a line to hold, now retreated as hundreds more Tamils poured on the street. The east side of the square was soon filled with people.

For a time it appeared as if the Tamils might breach parliament itself so the gates were closed and a defensive line was drawn up in an attempt to stop the Tamils entering the south side immediately outside the House of Commons.

This was soon over run and commanders decided to line up outside the Commons itself.

Tamils now flooded into all parts of the square. Barriers were commandeered by them and they began to police their own demonstration.

Within minutes of the breakthrough thousands of Tamils were sitting down in the road chanting for an end to the bloodshed in Sri Lanka. This is no longer the forgotten civil war.