Results tagged “srilanka”

Their large rallies have come and gone, but Toronto’s Tamils have yet to vacate the downtown core. Permanently located on the corner across from the U.S. Consulate, they continue to protest for all but fifteen minutes each day. During their only break at 9:30 every evening, they stand with candles along the east side of University Avenue to reflect on the lives lost during the decades-long Sri Lankan civil war.

             

The protest by Toronto's Tamil community in front of the U.S. consulate on University Avenue continued last night and throughout today, with the street remaining closed between Dundas Street West and Queen Street West. And although heavy rain had thinned the crowd yesterday morning to only a hundred or so protesters, the Toronto Star reports that their numbers had swelled back up to a thousand by noon today.

                            

For the third straight day, throngs of demonstrators from Toronto's Tamil community—the world's largest outside Sri Lanka—have congregated on University Avenue between Queen Street and Dundas, holding court outside the U.S. consulate. As of nine o'clock this morning, the percussive rhythm of drums and rallying cries continued to resound along the artery, hemmed in on either side by watchful, horse-mounted members of the Toronto Police Service.

                                        

A river of red flags flowed through the downtown core yesterday as thousands of Tamils lined the streets to protest the latest Sri Lankan government offensive in the long-running conflict with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, claiming that thousands of civilians had been killed, injured, or forcibly relocated. After forming a human chain along the streets for much of the afternoon, the well-organized demonstration gathered at Union Station where police closed part of Front Street.

Photo by chef@isimmer from Flickr.

Camp Okutta counsellors hit the pavement downtown last week handing out brochures for the wilderness getaway, which aims to teach kids the "art of war." Ads posted to utility poles boasted briefings on grenade throwing and minefield navigation. A promotional clip for Camp Okutta (right) shows children ranging from ages 8–12 strolling along nature trails and sitting around campfires, but also toting automatic rifles.

We've recently noticed that the so-called Entertainment District is experiencing a noticeable lull in, well...entertainment.

So tonight is the big opening of the Festival, with certain sections of the city all abuzz with poseurs yammering into cell phones, except now not in Canadian accents! All the staff and hardworking volunteers will be hoping it all goes off without a hitch, terrified and excited at the thought of nearly two weeks of celebrities, parties, networking… oh, and films, I guess. The opening night Gala tonight is Deepak Mehta’s Water, a film shut down by Indian extremists, forcing the director to film the rest of her examination of ostracized Indian widows in Sri Lanka. Torontoist, naturally, doesn’t have tickets, and due to Ontario’s severe laws won’t be scoring any on eBay either, so we're here with a look at the Contemporary World Cinema and Reel to Reel programmes.