Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has been forced to resign after a day of violence saw five people including a ruling party member of parliament dead, with reports emerging of people attacking properties linked to the ruling party across the island nation. Shots were fired from inside the Sri Lankan prime minister’s official residence on Monday, as thousands of protesters breached the main gate and torched a parked truck. Nearly 150 people were wounded on Monday after supporters of the government armed with sticks and clubs attacked peaceful protesters. Al Jazeera’s Minelle Fernandez reports from Colombo. – Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe – Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish – […]
Sri Lankans are continuing to demand President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s resignation, with thousands rallying in the capital, Colombo, saying neither he nor members of his family could be trusted to steer the country out of its deepening economic crisis. At the Galle Face Green on Colombo’s waterfront on Saturday, students, teachers, lawyers, actors and architects – many of whom said they were protesting for the first time – chanted “madman Gota” and “Go home Gota”, in a reference to the president’s nickname, as they gathered under a blistering sun. Al Jazeera’s Minelle Fernandez reports from Colombo. – Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe – Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish – Find us […]
Sri Lanka’s cabinet members have resigned en masse from their positions, the education minister said, as anti-government protests escalated despite curfews. All 26 ministers aside from President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his elder brother Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa stepped down during a late-night meeting on Sunday, Education Minister Dinesh Gunawardena told reporters. The move came after thousands of people defied a weekend curfew on Sunday to protest across the island and demand the resignation of the Rajapaksa family, which returned to power in November 2019. Al Jazeera’s Andrew Chappelle reports. – Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe – Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish – Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera – Check our […]