COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — The funeral procession for a slain Sri Lankan journalist turned into a large anti-government protest Monday, with thousands of marchers demanding justice and some blaming the government for the killing.

A few protesters burned an effigy of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, a rare outburst of dissent in a war-wracked country, where most criticism of the government is labeled unpatriotic and even treasonous.

The protest took place during the funeral procession of Lasantha Wickrematunge, the editor of the Sunday Leader newspaper and an outspoken government critic. Wickrematunge was killed Thursday when gunmen on motorcycles ambushed his car on his way to work and riddled him with bullets.

"These kinds of crimes should not be happening in Sri Lanka," said Wilson Colombage, a 66-year-old retiree. "The government should arrest the people responsible for this killing otherwise we will think the government itself is responsible for the killing."

At least 4,000 people marched through the streets of Colombo, escorting Wickrematunge's body to the cemetery. Many wore black armbands and chanted anti-government slogans.

Foreign governments protested the violence and human rights groups said the government had created a climate of impunity for attacks on perceived critics. Opposition politicians accused the government of orchestrating the attacks.

"This is a government of Hitler, this is a government of Mussolini, this is a government of Pol Pot," they chanted. "This is a murderous government."

The government has denied accusations that it was in any way involved in the killing and promised a thorough investigation.

The protest appeared to be the biggest against Rajapaksa's government since it took power more than three years ago. Many marchers carried black balloons and signs calling on the government to protect journalists.

The killing of Wickrematunge came two days after more than a dozen men armed with grenades and assault rifles attacked a TV station the state media branded said was not patriotic enough in its reports of recent government victories in the civil war with ethnic Tamil rebels. - AP