Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa reportedly fled from his residence after thousands of protestors surrounded the house. With protests already taking place across the country for months after the collapse of the economy in the country, the agitations have peaked after the government said that the country has gone bankrupt.
Citing defence sources, news agency AFP reported that president Gotabaya Rajapaksa has fled from his official residence.
#BREAKING Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa flees as protesters surround residence: defence source pic.twitter.com/wbMTmAcwtJ
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) July 9, 2022
The president was reportedly evacuated to a safer location before the protestors stormed into the presidential residence. According to sources, the president was moved to the army headquarters after intelligence reports had predicted that the situation could go out of control. The intelligence report was proved to be correct as thousands of protestors stormed into the residence of the president today, taking it over.
According to a report by NewsFirst, protestors have taken control of the President’s House located in Fort, Colombo. The report stated that thousands of ordinary Sri Lankans marched to the President’s House demanding the immediate resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
Visuals show thousands of protestors entering the President’s House at Janadhipathi Mawatha in Colombo chanting slogans.
#SriLanka🇱🇰- Crowds of demonstrators have stormed the gates of President's House in #Colombo pic.twitter.com/fXrn4vczgi
— CyclistAnons (@CyclistAnons) July 9, 2022
The Police had fired tear gas shelled at the protestors on the streets, but that was not enough to stop the angry people. Despite heavy police protection, they were able to breach the security and enter the residence of the president. In fact, some of the policemen also joined the protestors.
Protestors enter the President's House at Janadhipathi Mawatha in Colombo.#SriLanka #ProtestLK #SriLankaCrisis #SriLankaProtests pic.twitter.com/XNY0qsrYzb
— Ada Derana 24 (@AdaDerana_24) July 9, 2022
According to social media reports, the protestors have already seized the residence of the president. The official flag of the president was removed from the top of the building, and the national flag of Sri Lanka was hoisted in its place.
As the country has run out of food, medicine and fuel, unrest among the citizens continues to grow. But the unrest reached its peak when the govt banned selling of fuel for private vehicles. Police and military personnel have been deployed at fuel stations to ensure the compliance of this ban, and clashes have been reported from several fuel pumps over the issue.
Not just the presidential residence, protests are taking place at every place in Colombo and other cities in Sri Lanka.
