Sri Lankan police arrested accused of setting fire to the prime minister's house following protests in Colombo on Saturday that led to the flight of the country's president just before he stormed the presidential residence.
Sri Lanka's social media sites were abuzz with videos showing a crowd of protesters storming the presidential residence.
- Subsequently, the protesters held a party at President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's house
- where they spent their time swimming in his pool
- doing fitness exercises in the gym and wrestling on his bed
- taking memorial photographs in his office.
Earlier, the fugitive President signed a decree on the accelerated distribution of gas in Sri Lanka and resumed fuel supply to the gas stations. Previously, there was no gasoline, and the stations were under army custody.
Sri Lanka is experiencing the worst economic crisis since its independence in 1948, and last week Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa sent a letter to the Russian President requesting cooperation between the two countries in oil purchases.
Sri Lankan President's Palace intruders find a small sum and hand it over to the authorities (video)
After breaking into the home of Sri Lanka's president after fleeing, demonstrators found more than 17.8 million rupees ($49.1 thousand) and handed them over to the police.
The Guta Gugama protest movement said on Twitter: "Yesterday the protesters handed over to the head of Fort (neighbourhood) police station approximately Rs 17,850,000 found at the president's house."
Videos of protesters with the money they found in the presidential palace went viral on social media.
Thousands of protesters swept through Sri Lanka's capital. Instead of the planned peaceful march, protesters broke through police barricades and took over the presidential palace. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was reportedly evacuated shortly before the protesters surrounded his home.
Sri Lanka's president resigns on July 13
Sri Lanka's news portal, citing parliament spokesman Makhindu Yapu, reported that Sri Lanka's President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was stepping down on July 13.
The spokesman confirmed that Rajapaksa had informed him.
A senior military source said earlier that Rajapaksa had fled his official residence in the capital, before footage showed protesters demanding his resignation as they stormed the presidential compound.
Thousands of protesters swept through Sri Lanka's capital. Instead of the planned peaceful march, protesters broke through police barricades and took over the presidential palace. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was reportedly evacuated shortly before the protesters surrounded his home.
Sri Lanka.. Protesters break into Prime Minister's house and set it on fire
Protesters in Sri Lanka stormed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's home in Colombo.
- Police said a crowd of protesters broke into Wickremesinghe's home in Colombo on Saturday evening and set it on fire.
- "Demonstrators stormed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's private headquarters and set it on fire," the Prime Minister's office said in a statement.
- Sri Lankan Prime Minister Wickremesinghe confirmed earlier Saturday that he was stepping down after thousands of protesters stormed the headquarters
- and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled.
Comments
Post a Comment