Outraged protesters against an upcoming concert by singer Akon pelted a Sri Lankan private broadcaster’s headquarters on Monday (March 22).
As a result of the protest, four workers were injured, and the building was damaged. The workers’ injuries are not thought to be serious.
According to the Associated Press, Police spokesman Prishantha Jayakody said that numerous protesters were taken into custody for their roles in pelting the Majaraja Organization’s headquarters. The organization is sponsoring the concert, which is scheduled in Colombo for an April show.
The source of the discontent were accusations that Akon desecrated an image of Buddha in the music video for “Sexy Chick” [see video below]. In the video, which is actually by artist David Guetta and features Akon, scantily-clad women dance around a pool party with a statue of Buddha present. Sri Lanka’s ethnic majority, the Sinhalese, are mostly Buddhists.
This is not the first time the Maharaja Organization has been attacked, as a group of men armed with hand grenades and guns advanced on the building last year.
DX COMMUNITY