- Thousands of demonstrators broke through the police barricades in front of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s residence in Colombo, Sri Lanka’s economic capital.
- Some protesters have made their way into the president’s residence, footage from local TV news channel NewsFirst shows.
- The President left the house earlier. It is unclear exactly where he is.
- This was preceded by one of the largest anti-government demonstrations in the crisis-ridden country this year.
There was a live broadcast from the residence on Facebook. Hundreds moved through the corridors and rooms. Hundreds also gathered in front of the colonial-era building. Security forces were not to be seen.
The head of state had previously been brought to safety, said a spokesman for the presidential office on Saturday.
Legend:
The demonstrators march through the capital Colombo on Saturday.
imago images
The demonstrators had previously moved through the center of the metropolis of Colombo. They chanted anti-president slogans and waved national flags. They also managed to break through the police barricades. This fired warning shots. However, she was unable to stop the demonstrators.
Sri Lanka lacks everything
There have been regular protests in Sri Lanka for months, sometimes accompanied by violence. The 22 million inhabitants lack food, fuel and medicines. The reason is, among other things, a strong devaluation of the national currency, which made imports significantly more expensive.
The population blames President Rajapaksa for this. The government under the new Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has announced reforms. But this could not calm the population, displeasure has increased in recent weeks.