Two months of protest in Sri Lanka: new demonstration in front of the presidency
Audio 01:31
Demonstration in the streets of Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, on June 9, 2022. REUTERS - DINUKA LIYANAWATTE
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
This Thursday, June 9 marked the two months since the beginning of the protest movement calling for the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapakse.
For the occasion, a new demonstration took place to the seat of the presidency.
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With special correspondent in Colombo
,
Sébastien Farcis
The procession has invaded the esplanade in front of the railway station of Colombo, the capital of
Sri Lanka
, and is about to rush towards the office of President Gotabaya Rajapakse with a cry: “
Gota, Go!
(Gotabaya, leave!).
Among the crowd marching through the streets of the capital, young and old alike are present.
Coming from different social classes, the demonstrators are united in this struggle.
“
We are angry.
We must release these people who have ruined this country!
In a company, if a CEO cannot pay his employees and they have to queue for hours because of this, he is fired
!
says indignant Peter Almeida, an entrepreneur.
The movement is led by the youngest, hundreds of whom camp permanently in front of the presidency.
They are widely supported,
even by the diaspora
.
“
I live in Canada with my children, but as soon as the movement started in mid-April, I came back to help them.
I provided them with medicine and water, among other things.
This crisis did not affect me, I could have stayed in Canada, but I am proud to fight for my country
, ”says RB Atapattu, a retired sixty-year-old carrying a Sri Lankan flag in his hand.
With long daily power cuts, hours of waiting for petrol and soaring inflation, Sri Lanka
continues to suffer from the worst economic crisis in its history,
due to insurmountable debt and lack of foreign currency.
For his part, the president refuses to resign and the government has just asked for six billion euros in aid from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
A sum intended to keep Sri Lanka afloat for six months.
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