Sri Lanka Political Crisis: How Economic Ruin Led Thousands To Storm President’s House (In Photos)

The new date is Jul 9, 2022.

Protesters broke into the president's residence and demanded his resignation as anti-government demonstrations reached a feverish pitch.

Sri Lanka had a stable economy with a growing middle class but conditions quickly deteriorated this year, and people are blaming corrupt leaders who wasted the country's wealth

The country's economy is a disaster, with the rupee losing more than 80% of its value, food costs increasing and tourism decreasing due to the Covid-19 epidemic.

It was the first country in the world to restrict fuel sales since the oil crisis of the 1970s.

Sri Lankans have been unable to pay interest on their loans due to the country's huge debts.

The country is in talks with the International Monetary Fund for a $3 billion package, but the deal is expected to come with many strings attached to make sure the money is not mishandled by politicians.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is willing to step down after less than two months in office.

The storming of the palace was the culmination of months of protests calling for the resignation of the president. While calling up the army and imposing curfews in an attempt to contain the protests, the president has declared national states of emergency multiple times. The younger brother of the president agreed to step down as prime minister after mass resignations from the cabinet.

More than 100,000 people gathered outside the Presidential Palace Saturday and at times clashed with police who were unable to keep them out of the palace. The Presidential Palace compound was not occupied by the president. 55 people were injured in the Palace during the protest.