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Laughter, piano in the empty presidential palace of Sri Lanka

#Laughter #piano #empty #presidential #palace #Sri #Lanka

Sri Lanka’s colonial-era presidential palace has embodied state authority for more than 200 years, but on Sunday it was the new symbol of the island’s “people’s power” after its occupant fled.

Thousands of men, women and children poured into the imposing mansion and queued to take a seat in President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s chair upstairs while children and parents banged on a grand piano downstairs.

In the palace’s imposing Gordon Gardens, giggling families enjoyed a picnic while shaven-headed Buddhist monks in saffron robes marveled at the marble floors and central air conditioning.

“When leaders live in such luxury, they have no idea how the commoners are coping,” monk Sri Sumeda told AFP news agency after traveling 50 kilometers (30 miles) to visit the palace for the first time.

“It shows what can be done when people choose to exercise their power.”

– unprecedented –

Sri Lanka, once a relatively prosperous economy, is in an unprecedented crisis with hyperinflation and critical shortages of essentials like food, fuel and medicines.

Protesters have been demanding for months that Rajapaksa, who is part of a powerful clan that has dominated politics for decades, resign.

Rajapaksa, 73, fled the presidential palace through a back entrance under military protection on Saturday.

This was minutes before tens of thousands of protesters broke through the iron gates with live ammunition, tear gas and water cannons despite the presence of police officers.

He was holed up in a naval vessel off the coast on Sunday and has announced he will resign on Wednesday.

– ‘Do not damage paintings’ –

Heavily armed Presidential Guards were still nearby on Sunday, but this time they mingled with the new visitors and even posed for selfies with those who now control the new corridors of power.

There have been light-hearted banter as families scramble to take photos in front of pricey artwork or other artifacts that are still on display.

“Do not damage the paintings, they were not made by Gotabaya,” read handwritten signs put up by university activists at the forefront of the people’s power struggle known as the “aragalaya,” or struggle.

Shortly after the capture, many dove into the President’s pool to cool off, but by Sunday the water had turned murky and only a handful were willing to dive in.

– Bucket List Visit –

Buddhika Gunatillaka, 46, rode his motorbike from a Colombo suburb to tour the imposing building, which was largely closed to citizens.

“I used up the petrol I saved to make the trip with my wife because you will never get the opportunity to visit the most important residence in Sri Lanka,” Gunatillaka told AFP.

Painful memories of the fight lingered.

Two police water cannons stood on the short stretch of road leading to the palace. Bullet holes were visible on a perimeter wall after troops fired on Saturday to discourage a wave of protesters.

At the nearby presidential secretariat, Rajapaksa’s office, protesters tore down the iron fences and took over the main lobby where they opened a makeshift library on Sunday.

– ‘Do not leave’ –

“I visit the protest camp every day and will not stop until Gotabaya actually leaves office,” said 49-year-old Chamari Wickremasinghe, mother of two daughters.

“We’re not going to leave here,” she said while occupying the lobby of the Presidential Secretariat, which was the national parliament until 1982. “The promise to go until July 13 is not enough. He should stop now.”

The library’s curator, Supun Jayaweera, 33, said they would publish about 8,000 general reading books in Sinhala, Tamil and English and hoped visitors would make use of them. All were donations from people supporting the fight.

Families enjoyed a day trip up the 35 steps leading to the former Parliament building overlooking the Indian Ocean. Volunteers offered food to protesters and security forces.

A lone student activist roused visitors with anti-Rajapaksa chants as crowds continued to pour despite fuel shortages that have paralyzed public transport for days.

“I hope what happened on Saturday will serve as a reminder to future politicians. You can’t oppress people forever. They’re fighting back,” Gunatillaka said.

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#Laughter #piano #empty #presidential #palace #Sri #Lanka

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