Live updates: Turmoil in Sri Lanka as thousands protest

Protesters broke into the Sri Lankan chief’s official residence in Colombo on Saturday as greater than 100,000 amassed outdoors, in accordance with police, calling for President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to resign over his dealing with of the nation’s financial disaster.

Protesters enter presidential residence: Video broadcast on Sri Lankan tv and on social media confirmed protesters enter President’s Home — Rajapaksa’s workplace and residence within the industrial capital — after breaking via safety cordons positioned by police.

Rajapaksa shouldn’t be on the web site and has been moved elsewhere, safety officers informed CNN. It’s unclear what number of safety personnel are current on the location.

Pictures from Colombo paint a chaotic scene, with footage exhibiting demonstrators operating from tear gasoline, and clashing with police in physique armor.

What sparked the protests? The South Asian nation is struggling its worst monetary disaster in latest historical past, leaving tens of millions struggling to purchase meals, drugs and gas.

Tens of hundreds have taken to the streets in latest months, calling for the nation’s leaders to resign over accusations of financial mismanagement.

Colleges have been suspended and gas has been restricted to important providers. Sufferers are unable to journey to hospitals as a result of gas scarcity and meals costs are hovering.

Trains have diminished in frequency, forcing vacationers to squeeze into compartments and even sit precariously on high of them as they commute to work.

In a number of main cities, together with Colombo, a whole lot are pressured to queue for hours to purchase gas, typically clashing with police and the army as they wait.