The curfew imposed the day before had been lifted in the morning, but the President of Sri Lanka, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, ended up declaring a state of emergency on Friday, April 1, thus giving broad powers to the security forces.

This decision follows a night and then a consecutive day of demonstrations, punctuated by violence and degradation.

The protesters castigate the inability of the authorities to resolve a historic economic crisis. 

The head of state explained that public security requires the enforcement of tough laws giving security forces sweeping powers to arrest and imprison suspects.

Demonstrations against the government of Sri Lanka multiplied on Friday across the country, after a night of violence and anger in reaction.

"Enough Corruption"

In several towns on the island, signs held up by the crowd demanded the departure of the government, according to the police and local authorities.

"It's time to leave Rajapaksas!"

could be read on one of them, in the center of Colombo, the capital, in particular in reference to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his brother, the Prime Minister, Mahinda Rajapaksa.

"Enough corruption, go home Gota!", shouted another.

The government includes three brothers of the president including Mahinda, Prime Minister, and Basil, Minister of Finance, as well as one of his nephews.

During the night from Thursday to Friday, hundreds of demonstrators marched towards the home of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to demand his resignation.

In Nuwara Eliya (center of the country), protesters blocked the opening of a flower exhibition by the wife of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, Shiranti, according to the police.

The towns of Galle, Matara and Moratuwa in the south, but also other towns in the north and center of the country were troubled by demonstrations against the government.

The South Asian island is experiencing severe shortages of basic necessities, soaring inflation and crippling power cuts.

Many fear that the country, which is going through its worst economic crisis since its independence in 1948, will default on its foreign debt.

Two military cars and a police jeep were set on fire overnight from Thursday to Friday.

The demonstrators had also thrown bricks at the police and set up a barricade of burning tires on one of the main axes of Colombo.

At least two protesters had been injured by police gunfire - it was not immediately clear whether live or rubber bullets were used.

Four other people were injured by a security vehicle.

Fifty-three protesters were arrested, according to police.

Local media also reported the arrest of five press photographers who were allegedly tortured at the local police station, charges the government promised to investigate.

Seriously short of foreign currency, the island of 22 million people imposed a sweeping import ban in March 2020, leading to severe shortages of basic necessities.

Inflation stood at 18.7% in March in Colombo, the sixth consecutive monthly record, with a record rise in food prices, according to the latest official figures.

Diesel was not found in all of the island's service stations, according to the authorities and the media.

For lack of diesel for the generators, the State had to impose, on Thursday, a generalized power cut for 13 hours, the longest ever recorded.

Several public hospitals have stopped surgical operations for lack of medicines.

"Arab Spring" 

"Thursday night's protest was led by extremist forces calling for an Arab Spring," the office of the presidency said in a brief statement, a reference to anti-government protests that rocked Arab countries more than a decade ago. in response to corruption and economic stagnation. 

Transport Minister Dilum Amunugama claimed "terrorists" were behind the unrest.

The overnight curfew was lifted early Friday morning, but the police and military presence was stepped up in Colombo, where the charred wreckage of a bus still blocked the road leading to the president's residence.

Heightened security measures had been taken across the country after calls for nationwide protests on Friday.

Posts on social media urged people to protest peacefully outside their homes.

Videos of the night's protest shared on social media, whose authenticity AFP has verified, showed men and women demanding the resignation of the presidential clan.

Sri Lanka's difficult situation has been made worse by the Covid-19 pandemic which has torpedoed tourism and remittances.

Many economists also say it has been exacerbated by government mismanagement and years of accumulated borrowing.

The government said it was seeking help from the International Monetary Fund while asking for additional loans from India and China.

With AFP

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