As the financial disaster in Sri Lanka escalates, hundreds of protestors on Saturday stormed the presidential palace in Colombo and made themselves home, enjoying the luxuries reserved for the President and his family. The protesters had been considered taking dips in the swimming pool, working out at the presidential gym, and gorging on the meals in the President’s kitchen.
Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, meanwhile, was once compelled to flee amid the escalating violence and demand for his resignation.
It was once the country’s most chaotic day in months of political turmoil, Sri Lanka’s president and high minister agreed to resign on Saturday with protesters storming both officials’ homes and putting fire to one of the constructions in a rage over the nation’s severe financial crisis.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said he would leave workplace as soon as a new authorities is in place, and hours later the speaker of Parliament, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, introduced President Gotabaya Rajapaksa would step down on Wednesday. Pressure on both leaders grew as the economic meltdown set off acute shortages of indispensable items, leaving people struggling to buy food, gas and other necessities.
Thousands of human beings massed in the capital Colombo to demand the authorities take accountability for mismanaging the nation’s finances.
Meanwhile, the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka reminded Chinese nationals on Saturday not to participate in or watch any protests after protesters broke into the Sri Lankan top minister’s non-public house and set it on fire, hours after he agreed to resign.
