Colombo: In one of the largest anti-government marches in the crisis-ridden nation this year, thousands of protestors assaulted the president’s official home in Colombo, Sri Lanka’s commercial metropolis, on Saturday.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was reportedly evacuated from the workplace on Friday for his protection ahead of the rally scheduled for the following day, according to two sources in the defence ministry.
A Facebook livestream from inside the presidential residence showed hundreds of demonstrators cramming into rooms and hallways while yelling anti-Rajapaksa slogans, some of whom were covered in flags.In the ongoing protests, at least 21 people—including two police officers—have been hurt and taken to the hospital.
The 22 million-person island is suffering from a severe foreign exchange shortage that has restricted imports of fuel, food, and medicine, sending it into its worst economic crisis since gaining independence in 1948.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is frequently held responsible for the nation’s collapse. Since March, mostly peaceful demonstrations have called for his resignation.
