Rashmi Kavindhya tells the BBC that she never dreamed in her life that she would step inside the Sri Lankan president’s official residence in Colombo.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
A day after massive mobs forced their way into one of the most heavily guarded buildings in the country, thousands of people like Ms Kavindhya have flocked to see the compound.<\/p>\n
The presidential residence features several verandas, meeting rooms and living areas, a swimming pool and a large lawn. Saturday’s dramatic events forced President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee.<\/p>\n
“Look at the wealth of this country<\/em>“, said Mrs. Kavindhya, who went with her four children to the president’s residence.<\/p>\n “We live in a village and our house is small, this building belongs to the people and was built with the people’s money.”<\/em><\/p>\n Thousands of men, women and children were trying to enter the residence and some of the protest organizers were controlling the crowd.<\/p>\n Sri Lankan police and special forces stood in a corner and watched in silence.<\/p>\n As people wandered from room to room, everyone wanted to capture the moment by taking selfies, in front of tables and paintings.<\/p>\n “It’s a dream come true for me to see a palace like this”<\/em>said AL Premawardene who works at a children’s amusement park in the town of Ganeamulla.<\/p>\n “We are waiting in long queues for kerosene, gas and food, but the Rajapaksas are leading a different life.”<\/em><\/p>\n Protest leaders have already said they will not leave the official residences of President Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe until they are finally out of office.<\/p>\n Families were standing around admiring the pool filled with water. Onlookers clapped and shouted as a young man jumped into the water where protesters had been filmed swimming on Saturday.<\/p>\n “I feel sad”<\/em>said Nirosha Sudarshini Hutchinson, who was visiting the compound with her two teenage daughters.<\/p>\n “A man who was democratically elected president had to leave in such a shameful way. Now we are ashamed to vote for him. People want them to return the money they stole from the country.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Outside the mansion, on the sprawling manicured lawn, hundreds of people, Buddhists, Hindus and Christians, were lounging around. A family was picnicking on the green lawn where they would never have been allowed to sit 24 hours earlier.<\/p>\n Sri Lankans feel their months-long protest has finally led to the ouster of their country’s leaders, whom they blame for economic woes.<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n top channel![\"\"](\"https:\/\/top-channel.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/yy-800x450.jpg\")
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