Sri Lanka lifts curfew day after violent protest outside Prez's house amid economic crisis

Following protests outside Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's residence on March 31, a brief curfew had been imposed in several parts of the island nation. At the latest, the curbs have been removed as the crowd demanding the removal of the incumbent Head of State simmered down. At least 35 people were injured after local police tried to thwart agitated protestors from storming into his premises. Residents have been aggrieved after Sri Lankan cities faced a major power outage for over 13-hours on April 1. The series of shortages have emerged against the backdrop of an unprecedented economic crisis in the neighbouring country.

Local police informed media reporters that the demonstration had witnessed a gathering of nearly thousands of protestors outside the President's residence. Sri Lankans demand that their government resolves the ongoing crisis amid shortages in the supply of basic amenities. Amid reports of violent clashes, and a handful of arrests, a curfew had been implemented in the following Sri Lankan regions:

• Colombo North, 
• South
• Colombo Central
• Nugegoda
• Mount Lavinia
• Kelaniya Police Divisions

Curfew in Sri Lanka lifted

About 45 demonstrators, including a woman, were detained after protests turned violent when police fired tear gas and water cannons on the thousands of protestors who descended outside the private residence of Rajapaksa. The protestors demanded the President's resignation over his incapacity to handle the worst-in-a-decade economic crisis in the island country. The enraged mob also pelted stones at two army buses and set one of them on fire.

Protestors burnt at least one police bus, police Jeep, and two motorbikes stationed on the road leading to Rajapaksa's home. As the unrest turned bloodied, demonstrators also toppled a neighbourhood wall and rained bricks to attack officers and troops, The Guardian reported. As per reports, 17 civilians, 17 security force members, and three journalists were among the injured.

Following these clashes, the Sri Lankan military imposed a curfew across parts of the island nation, wherein, nearly 61 areas of Colombo were cordoned off and barricades were installed for commuters to pass. 

Notably, in an exclusive conversation with Republic TV on April 1, Tamil National Alliance MP MA Sumanthiran said that citizens are exasperated with the incumbent President and have lost faith in their representatives. Highlighting that nepotism is part and parcel of the current Sri Lankan administration, the leader of the Jaffna and Kilinochchi electoral district mentioned that eight family members of the President are members of the government and this inclusion poses questions about the transparency and objectives of the administration.

He further mentioned that the Rajapaksa-led regime has always intended to strengthen the military and that diverted the resources of the country.