On March 24,[37][38] protests against the NATO-led air attacks were organized by political parties allied to Sri Lanka's president Mahinda Rajapaksa.[39] Approximately 500 supporters of the National Freedom Front (NFF) participated in the demonstrations.[40][41] Protesters chanted anti-Western slogans, slogans against Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon, waved placards and burned[39] used[38] tyres[39] outside the United Nations (UN) office in Colombo.[37][42][43][44] According to BBC correspondent in Sri Lanka Elmo Fernando, the demonstrators shouted slogans urging Ban Ki-moon to quit his post and "go home" and described the military intervention in Libya as war crimes.[39] National Freedom Front (NFF) leader and MP Wimal Weerawansa (whose party organized the protest)[37][38][42][43][44][45] said, "We are against the biased behaviour of the UN on Libya in favour of the US and Britain. The people of Libya should decide how to resolve their own internal problems".[41] Banners reading, "We condemn killing innocent civilians in Libya" and "Banki Moon go to hell" were seen in the demonstration.[40] Protesters burned and beat US president Barack Obama in effigy.[46] Some protesters described Barack Obama as a "murderer".[45]