Sri Lanka: the president on the run, demonstrators burst into his residence

Police disperse protesters during an anti-government rally demanding the resignation of Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa due to the country's economic crisis, in Colombo, July 8, 2022. AFP - -

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Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled his official residence in Colombo on Saturday (July 9th) minutes before it was stormed by protesters demanding his resignation, a defense source told AFP.

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Local television channels showed images of hundreds of people climbing the gates of the presidential palace in the heart of the capital.

Tens of thousands of people had earlier taken part in a demonstration to demand the resignation of Mr. Rajapaksa, held responsible for the unprecedented economic crisis which is hitting Sri Lanka and causing galloping inflation and serious shortages of fuel, electricity and of food.

► To read also: Sri Lanka: the economic situation is deteriorating between inflation and oil shortage

An ignored curfew

 Security forces had imposed a curfew on Friday to try to discourage protesters from taking to the streets, but the measure was lifted after opposition parties, human rights activists and the country's bar association threatened to sue the chief of police.

The curfew had been largely ignored by protesters anyway, some of whom even forced railway authorities on Saturday to take them by train to Colombo to take part in the rally, officials told AFP.

► To read also: Sri Lanka: the population at the end of the face of the economic crisis

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• Sri Lanka

• Gotabaya Rajapaksa