In Sri Lanka’s capital, thousands of demonstrators have occupied President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s official house.
After months of protests over his poor handling of the nation’s economic situation, demonstrators from all around the nation marched to Colombo demanding his resignation.
According to reports, he has already been relocated to a safer area.
Inflation in the nation is out of control, and it is difficult to import food, gasoline, and medical supplies.
Many of the thousands of anti-government protestors travelled to the capital; according to officials, some even “commandeered” trains to get there.
They thronged Colombo’s government area while yelling exhortations like “Gota go home!” and scaled numerous police barriers to get to President Rajapaksa’s residence.
In an effort to keep irate mobs from overrunning the house, police blasted rounds in the air and used tear gas, but part of the mob managed to get inside anyhow.
AFP was informed by a senior defence source that “the president was transported to safety.” “He’s still the president, and the military is guarding him.”
Hundreds of demonstrators could be seen squeezing into rooms and hallways in Facebook Livestream footage from inside the structure, and hundreds more wandered about the exterior grounds.
The footage of a large number of individuals seen swimming in the palace pool.
The president’s office, which has been the focal point of protests for months, was also accessed by protesters at a different location.
A hospital spokesperson told that, Sinhala service that the National Hospital of Sri Lanka in Colombo was treating at least 33 injured patients, including members of the security forces.
By enforcing a curfew on Friday night, the authorities had made an effort to prevent the demonstration from happening. However, demonstrators persisted, and after heavy pushback from civil society organisations and opposition parties, the curfew was lifted.
The crisis has prompted Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to call an urgent gathering of party leaders. He also requests that the Speaker call the House of Representatives.
