Police in Sri Lanka have used tear gas and water cannons at a protest outside the president’s residence in the capital, Colombo. Thousands of people took part in the demonstration. The protesters clashed with riot police.
The demonstrators demanded the departure of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. He is held responsible for prolonged power outages and shortages of essentials. They shouted “go home, Gota, go home!” In recent times there have been regular demonstrations in the country because of the problems caused by the economic crisis. At least one person was injured in the confrontation.
The demonstrators pelted army buses with stones. The buses had been parked to block the way to the official residence. A vehicle was set on fire.
Police station also attacked
Police fired tear gas at the protesters. Soldiers with assault weapons were standing by near the demonstration. An angry crowd also gathered in front of a police station. The police are accused of protecting corrupt high-ranking officials. Tear gas was also used there.
The country has been struggling with economic malaise for a long time, it is the worst financial crisis since independence in 1948. One of the main causes is the decline in tourism, the main source of income on the island, as a result of the pandemic. The tourists are now slowly returning to Sri Lanka.
The crisis is leading to drastic measures. The government has last week hundreds of military personnel sent to state-run gas stations to help distribute fuel after sudden price increases and shortages. People queue for hours at the gas pumps.
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