COLOMBO: After months of angry demands for Sri Lanka’s chief executive to stand down, protesters laughed, had taken selfies and dealt with themselves to a swim as they suddenly found themselves inside their home.
The presidential palace in Colombo was overrun by countless people on Sunday (Jul 9), capping months of public discontent over the tropical isle nation’s crippling economic crisis.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had fled just moments previously, assisted by troops who fired in to the air to clear their escape.
As soon as he had left, the particular mood inside the substance was festive, since the crowd set aside the particular frustrations of long-running food and fuel disadvantages, as well as a tense confrontation with security pushes earlier in the time.
“We have been in Gotabaya’s room, this is actually the underwear he left behind, ” one young man said while holding up black briefs on a live video contributed on multiple social media channels.
“He has left his shoes or boots behind too. ”
On the grounds of the particular compound, dozens of guys shed their t shirts and jumped in to the presidential pool, with some doing summersaults plus frolicking in the drinking water.
Hundreds of others sat down on carefully manicured lawns for any break from the morning’s confrontation with law enforcement officers, who had terminated barrages of tear gas and drinking water cannon at demonstrators.
The audience had managed to function their way in to the compound after dismantling barricades and scaling its high entrance with the help of a captured police truck.
As the protesters surged forwards, the police officials and army troops guarding the residence melted away.
Elite police officers continued to be stationed inside yet made no try to remove the intruders running around leisurely through the estate.
Some of the audience took turns relaxing on Rajapaksa’s king-size bed and the comfy sofas.
Protesters also helped them selves to the presidential kitchen, with snacks and soft drinks seen spread out on counter tops.
“I was surprised to see that an air conditioner was working in their bathroom. We have to tolerate endless blackouts, inch a man who entered the palace told AFP by phone.