Sri Lankans Protest Near President's Home Over Economic Turmoil
Violence broke out during a protest near the private residence of Sri Lanka’s President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Thursday, March 31, as angry crowds rallied to protest the government’s handling of the worst economic crisis to hit the country in decades.
Sri Lankan newspaper Lankadeepa reported that a bus for Special Task Force personnel was set on fire, along with several other vehicles.
Two journalists and four police officers were injured in the violence, and tear gas and water cannon were used to disperse the crowds, according to the Virakesari newspaper.
The unrest prompted police to impose an overnight curfew in the affected areas of the capital, Colombo, Virakesari reported.
For weeks, Sri Lankans had been facing severe economic hardship, with skyrocketing prices and widespread shortages forcing them to queue, sometimes for several hours, for essential goods such as medicine, fuel, fertilizer, and milk powder. On Sunday, police said two men, both in their seventies, had died while waiting in lines to secure fuel, Reuters reported.
On Thursday, Sri Lanka officials approved 13-hour power cuts for the country on March 31 due to a lack of fuel for thermal power plants, according to Ada Derana. Credit: @nuzlyMN via Storyful
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