{"id":1415710,"date":"2022-04-01T22:59:50","date_gmt":"2022-04-02T02:59:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1415710"},"modified":"2022-04-01T22:59:53","modified_gmt":"2022-04-02T02:59:53","slug":"sri-lanka-mob-storms-presidents-house-as-country-runs-out-of-food-gasoline","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/sri-lanka-mob-storms-presidents-house-as-country-runs-out-of-food-gasoline\/","title":{"rendered":"Sri Lanka: Mob Storms President&#039;s House as Country Runs Out of Food, Gasoline"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fsri-lanka-mob-storms-presidents-house-as-country-runs-out-of-food-gasoline%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1415710&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><\/div>\n<p class=\"subheading\">Hundreds of protesters \u2013 reportedly armed with clubs, iron rods, stones, and other rudimentary weapons \u2013 attempted to storm President\u00a0Gotabaya Rajapaksa\u2019s house in the Mirihana district of Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Thursday night, demanding his government address the chronic shortages of fuel, food, medicine, and electricity the country is experiencing.<\/p>\n<p>Sri Lanka has been experiencing nearly ceaseless <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/asia\/2022\/03\/30\/protests-as-sri-lanka-runs-out-of-fuel-food-medicine\/\">protests<\/a> in the past month, prompted by widespread shortages of basic goods such as gasoline, food, and medicine. Hospitals have begun canceling surgeries because of a lack of critical medicine, and power shortages have caused regular <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymirror.lk\/breaking_news\/Over-8-hour-power-cut-tomorrow\/108-234275\">blackouts<\/a> lasting up to <a href=\"https:\/\/economynext.com\/sri-lanka-schedules-power-cuts-up-to-13-hours-for-march-31-92282\/\">13 hours<\/a>. Gasoline refueling lines have become so long that outraged citizens have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/asia\/2022\/03\/22\/sri-lanka-deploys-troops-fuel-shortage-prompts-alleged-murders\/\">killed<\/a> one another on them.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"D-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"gmxrevmore\" class=\"H\"><\/figure>\n<p>President\u00a0Gotabaya Rajapaksa is facing the greatest crisis of his term since beginning his presidency in 2019. Rajapaksa is the younger brother of Mahinda Rajapaksa, the former president credited with ending Sri Lanka\u2019s civil war in 2009. The elder Rajapaksa is currently the country\u2019s prime minister, a position he obtained after losing a prolonged <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/asia\/2018\/11\/16\/sri-lankan-lawmakers-throw-punches-chili-powder-mass-parliament-brawl\/\">battle<\/a> with predecessor Ranil Wickremesinghe in 2018, who claimed then-President\u00a0Maithripala Sirisena had ousted him unconstitutionally. Sirisena failed to install Rajapaksa, but Gotabaya Rajapaksa became president the next year and gave his brother the position.<\/p>\n<p>Violent scenes <a href=\"http:\/\/www.adaderana.lk\/news\/81531\/police-fire-tear-gas-to-disperse-protesters-near-presidents-residence\">erupted<\/a> in front of\u00a0Gotabaya Rajapaksa\u2019s presidential estate late Thursday as hundreds of people attempted to storm the home, according to local news. Police responded to the protest by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymirror.lk\/latest_news\/Water-cannons-tear-gas-fired-at-protesters\/342-234207\">using<\/a> tear gas and water cannons, while reports indicate some in the crowd began fighting back with rocks:<\/p>\n[embedded content]\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B2\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Protest outside President <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GotabayaR?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@GotabayaR<\/a> Residence in Mirihana <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/KedS2u0iFj\">pic.twitter.com\/KedS2u0iFj<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 DailyMirror (@Dailymirror_SL) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Dailymirror_SL\/status\/1509567075672494081?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 31, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Eyewitnesses testifying at the scene accused police of brutality.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was beaten like an animal,\u201d one man told News 1st, claiming police officers administered the beating:<\/p>\n[embedded content]\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B3\" class=\"a8d adSo\"><\/figure>\n<p>Sri Lanka\u2019s\u00a0<em>Daily Mirror<\/em> reported that the government deployed the army to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymirror.lk\/latest_news\/Protestors-break-barricades-in-Mirihana\/342-234206\">subdue<\/a> the crowd. It also reported that the crowd set at least one army bus on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymirror.lk\/breaking_news\/Army-bus-set-on-fire-during-protest\/108-234211\">fire<\/a> outside the presidential residence, publishing dramatic videos of the incident:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Breaking News: <\/p>\n<p>Protests continue in Mirihana <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/KQW7v2s5X1\">pic.twitter.com\/KQW7v2s5X1<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 DailyMirror (@Dailymirror_SL) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Dailymirror_SL\/status\/1509603720182435849?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 31, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<figure id=\"D-ROS-B2\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<p>Ada Derana, another Sri Lankan media outlet, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.adaderana.lk\/news\/81536\/total-of-54-under-arrest-after-protest-in-mirihana\">reported<\/a> that on Thursday, protesters destroyed \u201ctwo buses, a jeep, a three-wheeler, [and] two motorcycles\u201d belonging to police and the military.<\/p>\n<p>The mob scene occurred during a scheduled blackout in the area. Rajapaksa was reportedly not home.<\/p>\n<p>Rajapaksa\u2019s media office <a href=\"http:\/\/www.adaderana.lk\/news\/81535\/extremist-group-behind-unruly-conduct-in-nugegoda-pmd-says\">blamed<\/a> \u201corganized extremists,\u201d without naming any particular organization, for the violence on Thursday, claiming that the protest had initially consisted of peaceful civilians but unidentified criminals wielding \u201ciron rods and clubs\u201d had \u201cprovoked\u201d the protesters into trying to storm the presidential residence. The Rajapaksa government has not been uniform in making this claim, however. Public Security Minister Sarath Weerasekara <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymirror.lk\/latest_news\/No-extremists-act-of-sabotage-Weerasekara\/342-234269\">issued<\/a> a statement Friday denying that any organization had been involved in the incident.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B4\" class=\"a8d adSo\"><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t think they were extremist elements. It was only an act of sabotage. They have come to stage a protest and started damaging the vehicles and public property. That prompted the police to use tear gas\u201d he reportedly said.<\/p>\n<p>Wickremesinghe, the former prime minister, who remains a prominent opposition figure, also\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymirror.lk\/breaking_news\/RW-says-Mirihana-clash-is-not-a-racial-terrorist-attack\/108-234282\">condemned<\/a> the president\u2019s press office and others accusing organized criminals, terrorists, or \u201cracists\u201d of being behind the protest.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis was not a racist incident. This was not a terrorist incident. Such comments would only exacerbate the already volatile situation,\u201d he said in a statement. \u201cThe protests that took place at Jubilee Post were peaceful, however, at Pangiriwatta that situation changed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Wickremesinghe blamed the government for allowing Sri Lanka\u2019s entire political system to \u201ccollapse\u201d for the ongoing unrest in the country generally.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis incident can be described as a result of the collapse of the current political structure. The government has failed to solve the problems that are plaguing the citizens of Sri Lanka,\u201d the former prime minister said. \u201cThe Opposition has also failed to uphold their responsibility. The government is blaming various groups for the incident, but they must present evidence to support these claims.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Police arrested 54 people, reportedly including some journalists. The\u00a0<em>Daily Mirror<\/em> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.adaderana.lk\/news\/81547\/several-journalists-including-ad-reporters-injured-during-mirihana-protest\">Ada Derana<\/a> both reported that their journalists on the scene were injured in attempting to cover the chaos, publishing photos showing their journalists sporting large bruises on their bodies.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAda Derana correspondent in Colombo, Nissanka Werapitiya is currently under medical care at the Colombo National Hospital. He also underwent surgery this afternoon,\u201d the outlet detailed. \u201cMeanwhile, another Ada Derana correspondent Sumedha Sanjeewa, who was obtaining video footage of the protest, was also attacked by the police officers. He was subsequently taken into custody by the Mirihana Police.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0<em>Daily Mirror<\/em>\u00a0did not assign explicit blame regarding their journalists injured in the protests.<\/p>\n<p><em>Daily Mirror<\/em> staff photographers Nisal Baduge and Waruna Wanniarachchi who were among those covering the protest, sustained multiple injuries to their heads and arms following being hit by stones and other blunt objects,\u201d the newspaper <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymirror.lk\/latest_news\/Two-Daily-Mirror-photojournalists-injured-in-the-commotion\/342-234257\">updated<\/a>. \u201cNisal was struck on the head by a stone while Waruna was seriously injured and videos were circulating he was being carried by the bystanders with blood gushing from his head.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The newspaper did state that its reporters were trapped in a tight crowd by police road blockades that did not allow them to avoid projectiles thrown among the crowd.<\/p>\n<p>The government confirmed that it had inadvertently arrested journalists covering the protests.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen a mob turn violent, security personnel cannot practically check everyone,\u201d Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymirror.lk\/latest_news\/Govt-concerned-over-arrest-of-journalists-Keheliya\/342-234272\">lamented<\/a>. \u201cAnyone could carry a card and move around. I am not justifying the arrests. It shouldn\u2019t have happened as far as journalists are concerned. Unfortunately, it happened. We will ensure that media personnel\u2019s rights are ensured.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hundreds of protesters \u2013 reportedly armed with clubs, iron rods, stones, and other rudimentary weapons \u2013 attempted to storm President\u00a0Gotabaya Rajapaksa\u2019s house in the Mirihana district of Colombo, Sri Lanka,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1415710","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1415710","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1415710"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1415710\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1415710"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1415710"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1415710"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}