Lawyers stage a protest within the high-security zone.

A group of lawyers today staged a protest in front of the Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court urging the President to immediately withdraw the order he issued declaring High-Security Zones in the Colombo district.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday (23) issued a Gazette Extraordinary declaring High-Security Zones in the Colombo district, including the Supreme Court, High Court, and Magistrate's Courts in Colombo.

Attorney-at-law Gunaratne Wanninayake told the media that they were holding this protest without any approval from the police to demonstrate that they would not respect these regulations introduced arbitrarily.

He said the lawyers would continuously protest this move until the president withdraws it.

Mr. Gunawardene further said that the Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court Lawyers' Association has decided to discuss this issue with the President in due course.