Thousands of heavily armed troops and police were deployed in Sri Lanka’s capital on Friday ahead of the planned protests.
The authorities tried to stop them by announcing a curfew on Friday night but it was lifted after opposition parties and civil society groups strongly objected. The bar association threatened to sue the police chief.
Demonstrators began gathering near the official residence of the president on Saturday, having ignored the order to stay at home. Some had even forced railway staff to run trains to take them to Colombo, AFP news agency reported.
Police fired tear gas to try to disperse the vast crowds and fired shots in the air. But so many people had turned up for the demonstration and the authorities could not hold them back.
Footage on social media soon showed people roaming through the president’s house, lounging in its stately rooms and jumping and splashing in his pool.
There were no immediate reports of injuries. Over the past few months a number of Sri Lankans have been killed in the demonstrations, and hundreds hurt.
Sri Lanka crisis: Protesters swim in president’s pool
BBC footage shows demonstrators taking a swim in President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s pool.
Demonstrators have been demanding his resignation after months of protests over Sri Lanka’s economic crisis.
BBC
