A historic economic crisis that put the country on fire and blood. Thousands of soldiers and police were deployed Tuesday, May 10, in Sri Lanka, to ensure compliance with the curfew, the day after the resignation of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, following deadly clashes between his supporters and anti-government protesters. Demonstrations have multiplied for several weeks against the executive after months of shortages of food, fuel and medicine.
The army exfiltrated the resigning prime minister early in the morning from his official residence in Colombo, to place him in safety after thousands of demonstrators forced one of the gates. “After a pre-dawn operation, the former prime minister and his family were evacuated to safety by the military”, said a senior official. The location was not disclosed.
Fire bombs dropped
After breaking through the main gate of Mahinda Rajapaksa’s residence in Colombo, protesters attempted to storm the two-story main building where President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s brother had taken refuge with his family. “At least 10 incendiary bombs were thrown into the complex”said the senior official.
According to him, the police used a wall of tear gas and fired warning shots in the air to prevent the crowd from passing the three entrances to the colonial-era complex, a key symbol of state power. . Dozens of homes belonging to Rajapaksa supporters have been burned elsewhere in the country, where a state of emergency and a curfew are in effect.