Sri Lankan Buddhist monks chant Pirith (protective Buddhist stanzas) from a makeshift roadside shelter opposite the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on October 16, 2026. The monks stage the prayer vigil and sit-in demanding the release of imprisoned nationalist monk and Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) general secretary, Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero, who is serving a four-year sentence for hate speech. Demonstrators vacate and dismantle the shelter later in the day following an order issued by the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court directing the clearing of the high-security area.
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More footage filed by NurPhoto videographers.