Thousands of Tamil protesters pack Parliament Hill

More than 30,000 supporters of the Tamil community in Sri Lanka gathered Tuesday April 21 for a massive demonstration on Parliament Hill - the continuation of a two-week protest calling for sanctions against Sri Lanka for its handling of a decades-long civil war against Tamil rebels.

Demonstrators began arriving early Tuesday despite a steady drizzle, and thousands more arrived in busloads from both Toronto and Montreal throughout the day.

The sound of drumbeats filled the air as protesters waved signs and flags, chanted and listened to speakers.

CTV's Roger Smith reported from Parliament Hill the protesters want more action from Canada to help prevent further civilian deaths in the conflict.

"They want Canada to put more pressure through the UN and other organizations on the Sri Lankan government to declare a permanent ceasefire and negotiate with the last remaining Tamil Tigers ... some sort of negotiated peace agreement rather than attacking this last Tamil stronghold where there are these civilians," Smith told CTV Newsnet.

Protesters are also urging the recall of Canada's ambassador to Sri Lanka to protest Colombo's offensive against the Tamil Tigers.

"As Tamil Canadians, we ask the Canadian government to take a stance - to call upon an immediate and permanent ceasefire, to call out the Sri Lankan High Commissioner Ambassador out of Canada because they clearly don't represent . . . the 300,000 Tamil Canadians living in Canada," said Aranee Muru, with the York University Tamil Student Association.

The protesters are demanding that the Canadian government impose economic sanctions against the Sri Lankan government and expel the country's high commissioner.

Leading up to Tuesday's protest, smaller groups of Tamil supporters held demonstrations throughout Ottawa, which included stopping traffic on Wellington Street, an east-west roadway in front of Parliament.

Protesters had been criticized for carrying the flag of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), which Canada has designated a terrorist organization.

But on Tuesday the protesters appeared to have put away the flag, which bears a Tiger head surrounded by bullets, with crossed machine guns underneath.

"I think the protesters are hoping some politicians will come out and talk to them today," Smith said.

"That has been something politicians have been unwilling to do because they're seen as associating with a terror group."

NDP Leader Jack Layton was among the politicians who responded.

"We need our government to speak out strongly, to use every tool available, and to do so now," said Layton to cheering from the crowd.

Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff did not speak at the demonstration. But he did meet with Tamil community leaders. No members of the governing Conservatives met with the protesters.

According to protest spokesperson Senthan Nada, the flag is a symbol of Tamil nationalism, not terrorism.

"Just like the Maple Leaf flag is the Canadian national flag, the flags that were flown are Tamil national flags, not Tamil Tiger flags," Nada told Smith in an interview that aired on Newsnet.

"The crossed machine guns and the bullets are to represent the struggle."

Nada said the protesters have a peaceful goal.

"The reason we are here is because the Parliament has reconvened and we want to come on Parliament Hill and the purpose is to show in numbers how many Canadian people are interested in saving human lives."