Thousands of protesters in Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo demanding Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the government’s resignation stormed the president’s official residence on Saturday, television footage showed.
A top defence source who spoke on condition of anonymity to AFP has confirmed that Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the embattled president of the country, fled his official residence in the capital on Saturday before protestors calling for his resignation stormed the compound.
The insider claimed that the president was “escorted to safety,” and that troops had fired shots into the air to keep mobs of enraged people from storming the President’s Palace. In one of the largest anti-government demonstrations in the troubled country this year, tens of thousands of protesters broke through police barricades to attack the president’s official residence.
Some protesters, holding Sri Lankan flags and helmets, broke into the president’s residence, video footage from a local TV news channel showed.
Videos posted on social media showed demonstrators moving around inside the palace and swimming in the outdoor pool.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Saturday summoned an emergency party leaders meeting to discuss the situation and come to a swift resolution, his office said. He has also requested the speaker to summon parliament, a statement said.
Sri Lanka’s 22 million people have suffered months of surging inflation and lengthy power cuts after the government ran out of foreign currency to import essential goods, such as food, fuel, and medicine.
Many blame the country’s decline on President Rajapaksa. Since March, largely peaceful protests have demanded his resignation.
(With inputs from agencies)
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