Sri Lanka Crisis / Presidents resignation decided in Sri Lanka! Protesters occupied Rajapaksas house

Sri Lanka Crisis News: Hundreds of protesters in Sri Lanka, demanding the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, broke into his (President's) official residence on Saturday by removing barriers in the high-security Fort area of ​​central Colombo. The protesters are demonstrating against the government due to the serious economic crisis in the country. Rajapaksa has been under increasing pressure to resign since March. He has been using the presidential residence as his residence and office since protesters occupied the entrance to his office in April.

People working in the presidential residence said that in view of Saturday's protest, President Rajapaksa had vacated the house on Friday itself. Police fired tear gas and water cannons and opened fire on the protesters to disperse them, but still the protesters broke through the barriers and entered the presidential residence. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe called an urgent meeting of political party leaders on Saturday to discuss the crisis created by public protests in the country. A statement issued from Wickremesinghe's office said that he has called an immediate meeting of the party and requested the Speaker to convene the session of Parliament immediately.

The protesters climbed the walls of the presidential residence and they are inside. However, he did not damage any property or indulge in any kind of violence. Meanwhile, at least 30 people, including two police officers, were injured during the protests and have been admitted to the National Hospital in Colombo. The protesters also clashed with railway authorities in the cities of Galle, Kandy and Matara and forced the authorities to run trains to Colombo.

Large contingents of police, special task force and army have been deployed in the area. Organizers of the 'Whole Country to Colombo' movement said people were leaving the suburbs on foot to join the protesters at Colombo Fort. The protesters said they would not back down until Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigned. Earlier, the Sri Lanka Police lifted the curfew from seven divisions on Saturday after increasing pressure from top lawyers' union, human rights groups and political parties.

According to the police, curfew was imposed in seven police divisions in the Western Province which include Negombo, Kelaniya, Nugegoda, Mount Lavinia, North Colombo, South Colombo and Colombo Central. This curfew was implemented from 9 pm on Friday till further notice. The Bar Association of Sri Lanka opposed the curfew, terming it illegal and a violation of fundamental rights. "Such a curfew is clearly illegal and a violation of the fundamental rights of the people of our country who have been protesting against the failure of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his government to protect their fundamental rights," the bar association said in a statement. The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka has described the curfew as a grave violation of human rights. Significantly, Sri Lanka, a country with a population of 22 million, is currently facing a serious economic crisis.