Protesters calling for the resignation of Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa breached security barricades and entered his official residence, defying tear gas and water cannons, amid reports that the leader has left his compound, according to Bloomberg.
Rajapaksa was taken to safety away from the compound, AFP reported, citing an unidentified defense official. Calls to the president’s secretary and the media unit went unanswered.
Civil rights activists, religious leaders and artists were among thousands from across the South Asian island who gathered today at a waterfront protest site near the presidential residence in the capital Colombo.
Before the protest, Omalpe Sobitha, a senior Buddhist monk in one of the main monastic orders and an outspoken critic of the government, told reporters that the crisis was not the result of famine or natural disaster but of bad governance.
Sri Lanka is in the worst slump in its independent history, with inflation reaching 70%. It has faced shortages of everything from fuel to medicine for months, sparking protests that led to the resignation of all members of the Rajapaksa family involved in the government, except the president.
Gotabaya fended off calls for his resignation and in May appointed his long-time rival Ranil Wickremesinghe as prime minister after largely peaceful protests turned violent.
Late on Friday, police imposed a curfew in and around parts of Colombo after thousands of university students who had protested towards Rajapaksa’s residence were tear-gassed. Police chief CD Wickramaratne – who told a briefing this week that authorities would not stop any peaceful assembly – said in a statement on Saturday that the curfew would be lifted by 8:00am.
Video footage from local news channels showed some protesters clashing with police as they fired tear gas shells.
The Sri Lankan Bar Association and opposition parties also said the blockade was illegal and called on protesters to continue with their plans for a peaceful rally. Earlier this week, a Colombo court rejected a government request to bar protesters from near the president’s official residence.
Economic activity has ground to a halt, while residents are being asked to stay indoors until July 10 to conserve fuel. Sri Lanka’s central bank on Thursday raised borrowing costs by 100 basis points as prices continued their record highs in June due to shortages and dwindling foreign reserves.
Source: Capital
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