Protesters storm Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s residence; 7 injured in clashes
Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has fled his house as protesters surrounded and stormed his residence on Saturday, reported information company AFP, citing a defence supply and native media. At least seven individuals, together with two policemen, had been injured because the protesters and police clashed, stated information company PTI.
Thousands of protesters clashed with the police and breached barricades to storm the president’s official residence within the capital metropolis of Colombo. Two defence ministry sources informed information company Reuters that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was faraway from the official premises on Friday for his security forward of the deliberate rally over the weekend.
Protesters live-streamed the breach on Facebook. Video clips confirmed individuals shouting slogans towards Rajapaksha as they marched via rooms and corridors of the palatial constructing. Several individuals walked round on the grounds outdoors the colonial-era constructing with no safety officers in sight.
At least 21 individuals, together with two police had been injured and hospitalised within the ongoing protests, hospital sources informed Reuters.
Video footage from native TV information NewsFirst channel confirmed some protesters, holding Sri Lankan flags and helmets, broke into the president’s residence, stated a Reuters report.
#aragalaya protestors contained in the residence of the #President. #ProtestLK #aragalaya #EconomicCrisisLK #CountryToColombo #GotaGoGama #OccupyGalleFace #GoHomeGota #occupypresidentshouse pic.twitter.com/bfTbqQ39wc
— EconomyNext (@Economynext) July 9, 2022
Police fired photographs within the air however had been unable to cease the offended crowd from surrounding the presidential residence, Reuters stated quoting a witness.
“Thousands of protesters have reached the main entrance of the President’s House in Fort after putting down layers of barricades and the police were seen withdrawing from the area. Shots were heard being fired in the air and continuous rounds of tear gas is being fired,” it stated in a report.
Protestors contained in the President’s House. #SriLanka #SriLankaProtests pic.twitter.com/9yuoNltFev
— Jamila Husain (@Jamz5251) July 9, 2022
Protesters have been calling for the resignation of Rajapaksa since March when it emerged that Sri Lanka was experiencing a extreme financial disaster. Since then the nation has seen the worth of fuels skyrocket because the nation stopped receiving shipments. Schools had been closed and petrol, diesel and cooking fuels had been rationed because the scenario worsened.
