As the economic crisis in Sri Lanka escalated, protesters breached the official residence of Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister, known as Temple Trees, on Saturday.
Video of protesters entering the gates, demonstrating and hanging banners at the residence of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was widely circulating on social media.
One such video showed protestors wrestling on the Prime Minister’s bed in WWE style. They were seen pinning each other down as they tried to imitate the wrestlers inside a ring.
Video – #WWE Wrestling on Prime Minister’s bed at Temple Trees #LKA #SriLanka #SriLankaCrisis #SriLankaProtests pic.twitter.com/5f2zE9uqLD
— Sri Lanka Tweet (@SriLankaTweet) July 10, 2022
However, Wickremesinghe was safe as he had been moved earlier to a secure location.
Protesters now enter the official residence of the Prime Minister – The Temple Trees of #Colombo. #lka #SriLankaProtests #SriLankaEconomicCrisis pic.twitter.com/Q5YW3AVG6L
— Dasuni Athauda (@AthaudaDasuni) July 9, 2022
SRI LANKAN PM STEPS DOWN
PM Ranil Wickremesinghe stepped down from his post and made way for an all-party government to take over.
To ensure the continuation of the Government including the safety of all citizens I accept the best recommendation of the Party Leaders today, to make way for an All-Party Government.
To facilitate this I will resign as Prime Minister.
— Ranil Wickremesinghe (@RW_UNP) July 9, 2022
The Prime Minister’s Media Division said that the PM will resign after an all-party government is established and the majority is secured in Parliament. His office said that Wickremesinghe will continue as prime minister until then.
PRESIDENTIAL PALACE STORMED
Unprecedented scenes unfolded as enormous crowds stormed President Gotabaya’s property. Thousands of protestors on Saturday stormed the presidential palace in Colombo and made themselves home, enjoying the luxuries reserved for the President and his family.
ALSO READ | Sri Lanka crisis: As Gotabaya flees, protesters swim in Presidential pool, flex at his gym | Videos
The protesters were seen taking dips in the swimming pool, working out at the presidential gym, and gorging on the food in the President’s kitchen.
#WATCH | As the economic crisis in Sri Lanka triggers nationwide unrest, protestors stormed the premises of the presidential palace in the capital Colombo, earlier today#SriLankaCrisis
(Source: Reuters) pic.twitter.com/zFAsj3qPhw
— ANI (@ANI) July 9, 2022
Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, meanwhile, was forced to flee amid the escalating violence and demands for his resignation.
THE CRISIS
Rajapaksa appointed Wickremesinghe as prime minister in May in the hope that the career politician would use his diplomacy and contacts to resuscitate a collapsed economy. But people’s patience wore thin as shortages of fuel, medicine and cooking gas only increased and oil reserves ran dry. Authorities have also temporarily shuttered schools.
The country is relying on aid from India and other nations as leaders try to negotiate a bailout with the International Monetary Fund. Wickremesinghe said recently that negotiations with the IMF were complex because Sri Lanka was now a bankrupt state.
Sri Lanka announced in April that it was suspending repayment of foreign loans due to a foreign currency shortage. Its total foreign debt amounts to $51 billion, of which it must repay $28 billion by the end of 2027.
— ENDS —