Sri Lanka’s President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled his official residence on Saturday just before protesters, angered by an unprecedented economic crisis, stormed the compound and overran it.
Huge crowds had surrounded the leader’s home to demand his resignation, blaming government mismanagement for the painful downturn.
As protesters crowded outside the presidential palace gates, troops guarding the compound fired in the air to hold back the flood until Rajapaksa was safely removed, a senior defense source told AFP on condition of anonymity.
“The President has been taken to safety,” the source added. “He’s still the president, he’s protected by a military unit.”
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who would take over the presidency should Rajapaksa step down, has called an urgent cabinet meeting to discuss a “quick fix” to the political crisis, his office said.
Members of the crowd broadcast live footage on social media showing hundreds of people walking through the Presidential Palace.
The colonial-era mansion is one of the key symbols of Sri Lankan state power and officials said Rajapaksa’s departure raises questions about whether he intends to remain in office.
“We are awaiting instructions,” a senior official told AFP news agency. “We still don’t know where he is but we do know that he is with the Sri Lanka Navy and is safe.”
Colombo’s main hospital said 14 people were being treated there after being hit by tear gas canisters.
– “No deterrence” –
Sri Lanka has suffered months of food and fuel shortages, prolonged power outages and runaway inflation after running out of foreign exchange to import essential goods.
Thousands of people had flocked to the capital for the demonstration, the latest expression of the unrest sparked by the crisis.
Police lifted a curfew imposed on Friday after opposition parties, rights activists and the Bar Association threatened to sue the police chief.
Thousands of anti-government protesters ignored the order and even forced railway authorities to operate trains to take them to Colombo for Saturday’s rally, officials said.
“The curfew was not a deterrent but encouraged more people to take to the streets defiantly,” the defense official said.
“Passengers had trains confiscated to reach Colombo.”
The country has nearly exhausted already tight petrol supplies, but protesters, backed by the main opposition parties, hired private buses to travel to the capital.
Demonstrators have camped outside Rajapaksa’s seafront office to demand his resignation over government mismanagement of the crisis.
Soldiers armed with assault rifles were bussed into Colombo on Friday to reinforce police guarding Rajapaksa’s official residence.
Authorities said they deployed nearly 20,000 soldiers and police for a security operation to protect the president.
Sri Lanka has defaulted on its $51 billion external debt and is in bailout talks with the International Monetary Fund.
Nine people were killed and hundreds injured as clashes erupted across the country after Rajapaksa loyalists attacked peaceful protesters outside the president’s office in May.
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