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Thousands of protesters have stormed the Sri Lankan president’s residence in the capital, Colombo.
Rallyers from all over the country marched to the building demanding the resignation of Gotabaya Rajapaksa after months of protests against the mismanagement of the deep economic crisis that has plagued Sri Lanka. The head of state himself was not there, as he had taken measures to move to a safer area. Once inside the building, the protesters could not resist without taking a dip in the swimming pool used by the president.
Sri Lanka faces a galloping inflation and has great difficulty importing food, fuel, medicine. The UN on Friday urged authorities and protesters to ensure that Saturday’s rally would be peaceful. But the situation quickly got out of control. The crowd poured into Colombo’s government district, chanting slogans such as “I must go home!” .
People broke through several police barricades to reach the head of state’s residence. Law enforcement fired several times in the air and used tear gas to try to stop the crowd, but in vain. Rajapaksa continues to be the country’s president and is being protected by a military unit, a senior defense ministry official told AFP.
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