Sri Lanka: Protesters to hand back iconic govt buildings to authorities

Sri Lanka's anti-government demonstrators on Thursday decided to vacate some of the iconic administrative buildings, including the President's House and the Prime Minister's Office

Sri Lanka protests
Demonstrators protest inside the President's House premises, after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled, amid the country's economic crisis, in Colombo, Sri Lanka July 9, 2022. REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte
Press Trust of India Colombo
2 min read Last Updated : Jul 14 2022 | 1:25 PM IST

Sri Lanka's anti-government demonstrators on Thursday decided to vacate some of the iconic administrative buildings, including the President's House and the Prime Minister's Office, they have been occupying since April 9 demanding president Gotabaya Rajapaksa's resignation.

On July 9, protesters occupied President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's presidential palace and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's private house. The Prime Minister's Office was overrun on Wednesday.

We are peacefully withdrawing from all buildings except the old parliament (president's office) and Galle Face (the continuous protest site). We will continue to remain in these places, we will continue to protest until we reach our goals," a spokesperson for the group told reporters.

The government building includes the President's house, Presidential Secretariat and the Prime Minister's Office.

Protesters occupied the building demanding President Rajapaksa's resignation. However, the Prez on Wednesday fled to the Maldives on a military jet, hours before he was supposed to step down in the face of a public revolt against him and his family for mishandling the economy that has bankrupted the country.

Rajapaksa, the 73-year-old leader who had promised to resign on Wednesday, appointed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as the acting President hours after he fled the country, escalating the political crisis and triggering a fresh wave of protests.

At least 84 people were hospitalised when protesters clashed with the security forces at the prime minister's office and at the main access junction to Parliament since Wednesday afternoon after Rajapaksa fled the country.

The police fired tear gas and water cannons at the mob who were trying to break barriers and enter the restricted zone.

The police spokesman Nihal Thalduwa said protesters had grabbed a T56 firearm and 60 bullets from a Sri Lanka Army soldier. A police complaint had been lodged, the police said.

Protesters have been coming under pressure as the protests took a violent turn. The lawyers' body had asked them to vacate the buildings.

The spokesperson said, "their campaign has always been peaceful. We tell those in power not to use this opportunity to threaten people and show your military power.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Quarterly Starter

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

Save 46%

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Access to Exclusive Premium Stories Online

  • Over 30 behind the paywall stories daily, handpicked by our editors for subscribers

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

Topics :sri lankaProtestEconomic Crisis

First Published: Jul 14 2022 | 1:25 PM IST

Next Story