Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has reportedly fled his residence after thousands of protesters surrounded the city. With protests across the country months after the country’s economy collapsed, unrest erupted after the government said the country was dying.
Citing security sources, the AFP news agency reported that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had fled his official residence.
The president was reportedly taken to a safe place before protesters stormed the president’s house. According to sources, the president has been transferred to military headquarters after intelligence reports suggested the situation could be out of control. The intelligence report appeared to be true as thousands of protesters stormed the president’s house today, seizing it.
According to a NewsFirst report, protesters have taken control of the Presidential Palace in Fort, Colombo. The report said thousands of ordinary Sri Lankans had marched on the Presidential Palace demanding the immediate resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
Visual images show thousands of protesters entering the Presidential Palace in Janadhipathi Mawatha in Colombo chanting slogans.
Police fired tears from the protesters on the streets, but that is not enough to prevent the angry people. Despite heavy police protection, they managed to break through security and enter the president’s residence. In fact, some police officers also joined the protesters.
According to reports on social media, protesters have already seized the president’s residence. The official flag of the president was lifted from the top of the building, and the national flag of Sri Lanka was lifted in its place.
As the country runs out of food, medicine and fuel, unrest among residents continues to grow. But the turmoil reached a climax when the government banned the sale of private car fuel. Police and soldiers were deployed at the petrol stations to ensure that the ban was complied with, and there were reports of clashes from several petrol pumps in the matter.
Not just the president’s residence, protests are taking place in all parts of Colombo and other cities in Sri Lanka.
