How Sri Lanka melted away: Anatomy of a massive protest

Sri Lanka is currently in a mess, facing its worst economic crisis. The country has suffered through months of food and fuel shortages, lengthy blackouts and galloping inflation. The South Asian nation ran out of foreign currency to import vital goods.

People in the country have been protesting but the magnitude of the protests changed when the frustration of people with the ongoing economic crisis boiled over on Saturday (July 9).

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Hundreds of thousands massed in Colombo demanding Rajapaksa take responsibility for shortages of medicines, food and fuel.

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What happened on Saturday?

Protesters stormed the presidential palace and forced President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to agree to resign. After that, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe also said he would step down to allow an all-party interim government to take over.

A huge crowd of protesters surged passed armed guards into the presidential palace and took it over. They smashed the furniture and artefacts and also were seen “partying” in the swimming pool.

Media reports mentioned and the videos showed that protesters who seized the residence of the head of Sri Lanka found a huge amount of money there. Millions of rupees were in Rajapaksa’s closet, local media reported. Eyewitnesses published a video online, in which they allegedly counted 17.8 million.

Watch some videos here:

What happened on Sunday?

On Sunday, to some extent, calm returned to Colombo but protesters across the country were seen on the streets waving flags and chanting.

News agencies have stated that the Sri Lankan protesters refused to budge from Rajapaksa's residence on Sunday. "Our struggle is not over. We won't give up this struggle until he actually leaves," student leader Lahiru Weerasekara told reporters.

Video footage has emerged of Sri Lanka security forces shooting moments before protesters entered the President's house yesterday.

On Sunday the presidential palace was a free-for-all, with children and parents plonking on a grand piano, admiring the expensive artwork, picnicking and taking in turns to sit in the president's chair.

"When leaders live in such luxury, they have no idea how the commoners manage. This shows what can be done when people decide to exercise their power," Buddhist monk Sri Sumeda told AFP.

What happens next?

A sitting president being ousted by street protests is unprecedented in Sri Lanka's post-independence history. Rajapaksa's decision to step down, however, is likely to add to the country's political and economic uncertainty.

Sri Lanka's constitution dictates that should a president resign, the country's prime minister will assume the role. But incumbent Ranil Wickremesinghe has said he too will stand down.

It was therefore likely that the parliament speaker, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, will assume temporary charge of the country, until lawmakers elect a new president to complete the rest of Rajapaksa's term, due to end in 2024, said constitutional expert Jayadeva Uyangoda.

(With inputs from agencies)

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