“Black Day of the Tamil Nation” Protest Held in Kilinochchi
06-Feb-2026.
Declaring Sri Lanka’s 78th Independence Day as the “Black Day of the Tamil Nation,” large-scale protest demonstrations were held across the Northern and Eastern provinces.
In Kilinochchi, a massive protest march organized with the participation of the Jaffna University community, relatives of the forcibly disappeared, civil society organizations, and Tamil political representatives commenced on 4 February from the premises of the Kandhaswamy Temple and proceeded to the public park.
Participants demanded justice for the Mullivaikkal genocide, accountability for enforced disappearances, a solution to the Tamil national question, and an end to land grabs in Tamil homeland areas. Protesters carried placards and chanted slogans throughout the march.
Demonstrators also displayed visuals highlighting the oppression of Tamils, chanting slogans such as “The Lion Flag is a symbol of humiliation” and “Sri Lanka’s Independence Day is a Black Day for Tamils.”
Parliamentarians Durairasa Ravikaran and Sivagnanam Sridharan, former MP Selvarasa Gajendran, university students, relatives of the disappeared, local government representatives, civil society activists, and religious leaders participated in the protest.
Traffic was temporarily disrupted on one lane of the A-09 road during the march. Although police attempted to halt the protest citing traffic issues, negotiations with organizers allowed the march to proceed peacefully.
During the protest, an elderly woman collapsed due to heat and age-related exhaustion. She was provided immediate medical assistance and transferred safely to hospital.
Meanwhile, a black flag was hoisted at Jaffna University to mark the day, with students stating it symbolized that Independence Day continues to be regarded as a Black Day by Tamils.
Relatives of the forcibly disappeared in Vavuniya also held protest actions at their demonstration site, stating that true freedom would only come when the truth about their missing children is revealed.
