Canadian Tamils plan massive protest against Sri Lanka

Toronto, May. 4 (ANI): Demanding that Canada, US and the UN to intervene to end the Sri Lankan crisis, tens of thousands of Tamil Canadians will form a human chain on Tuesday in downtown Toronto to protest against the Lankan Army's offensive against the LTTE.

"The chain will form at noon at Union Station and, depending on how many people there are, occupy sidewalks north along Yonge St., west along Bloor St. to Avenue Rd., then south along Queen's Park and University Ave. and Front St. back to Union," said Aranee Muru, spokesperson of Coalition to Stop the War in Sri Lanka.

Muru said no streets would be blocked, as happened last week when a protest outside the American consulate forced police to block off University Ave. and neighboring streets for several days.

"We will stay on the sidewalk. We are out there to create more awareness. We don't want to be disruptive," The Star quoted her, as saying.

The organizers are not sure about when the protest, will end.

"It's really up to the people...how long they want to stay," she said.

They said they are expecting large numbers to attend the event. According to some estimates, over 200,000 people of Tamil origin live in the Greater Toronto Area.

Toronto police say they're still planning their response. Senior officers will speak with protest organizers and then formulate a plan.

Organizers planning Tuesday's demonstration have asked participants to come downtown by subway and get out at any stop.

Tamil organizers say they are protesting to draw attention to a "massive buildup of Sri Lankan armed forces" in the northern battle zone.

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam have been fighting a 25-year war with the Sri Lankan Government for a separate ethnic Tamil homeland. (ANI)