Video: Protesters storm the presidential residence in Sri Lanka | Globalism

Television footage showed that protesters smashed gates in other government buildings, such as the presidential secretariat and the Ministry of Finance.

They demand the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. According to Defense Ministry sources, he has not been at the official headquarters since Friday for security reasons.

The army and police tried to prevent the protesters from entering the buildings, but failed.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe called an emergency meeting of party leaders to discuss the situation and find a quick solution. The statement said he had asked the president to convene parliament. Wickremesinghe has also been moved to a safe location.

Protesters inside the official residence

A Facebook live broadcast from inside the president’s home showed hundreds of protesters, some draped in flags, crowded halls and corridors, chanting anti-Rajapaksa slogans.

The demonstrators entered the swimming pool of the official residence, and circulated pictures on social networking sites.

People also roamed the land outside the building.

At least 39 people, including two police officers, were injured and taken to hospital in the protests.

Without tourism, the country ran out of dollars

Sri Lanka is a country of 22 million people in Southeast Asia.

The economic crisis started because the country lacked dollars, and therefore they were unable to import fuel, food and medicine.

This is considered the worst economic crisis since independence in 1948.

Inflation was 54.6% in June and is expected to reach 70% in the coming months.

The government is negotiating with the International Monetary Fund a $3 billion loan, to restructure part of the external debt, and is seeking to borrow money from international bodies.

Sri Lanka’s economy is highly dependent on tourism for the dollar, and with the Covid-19 virus, the country has been left without its main income. In addition, the government was already in debt. With the rise in oil prices, the situation worsened. Last year, the government banned the import of chemical fertilizers that devastated agriculture. In November, purchases were allowed again.

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