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Photos: Sri Lanka protesters storm PM’s office as president flees

Protesters are demanding the resignation of Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was declared acting president after Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled.

Demonstrators attend a protest outside the office
Police use tear gas to disperse the protesters outside the prime minister's office [Adnan Abidi/Reuters]
Published On 13 Jul 2022

Thousands of anti-government protesters have stormed into Sri Lanka Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s office, hours after he was named as acting president.

Men and women breached military defences and entered the premier’s office on Wednesday to raise national flags, after police and troops failed to hold back crowds despite firing tear gas and water cannon.

Some protesters scaled the walls of the office as the crowd roared in support and tossed water bottles to those charging in.

Protesters are demanding the resignation of Wickremesinghe, who was declared acting president after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country earlier on Wednesday.

Rajapaksa escaped to the Maldives hours before he had promised to resign over a devastating economic crisis.

Protesters have promised to occupy the official buildings until the top leaders have gone.

Demonstrators break the gate of Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe's office
Demonstrators break the gate of Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe's office compound. [Dinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters]
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Demonstrators celebrate after they entered into Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe's office
Demonstrators celebrate after they entered in the compound of Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe's office. [Dinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters]
Protestors celebrate after entering the Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's office premises
Protestors entering the Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's office premises. [Adnan Abidi/Reuters]
Members of the police stand guard during a protest outside the office of Sri Lanka's Prime Minister
Police stand guard outside the office of Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. [Adnan Abidi/Reuters]
A demonstrator pours water on a man during a protest outside the office of Sri Lanka's Prime Minister
A demonstrator pours water on a man suffering from the effects of tear gas during a protest outside the office of the prime minister. [Adnan Abidi/Reuters]
Sri Lanka
Police use tear gas as Sri Lankan protesters storm PM Ranil Wickremesinghe's office compound. [Rafiq Maqbool/AP Photo]
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Demonstrators stand on the wall of Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's office
Demonstrators stand on the wall of the prime minister's office compound. [Adnan Abidi/Reuters]
Police use tear gas as Sri Lankan protesters storm the compound of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's office
Police use tear gas as Sri Lankan protesters storm the prime minister's office compound. Protesters have promised to occupy the official buildings until the top leaders have gone. [Rafiq Maqbool/AP Photo]
Sri Lanka
Amid the chaos, Wickremesinghe declared a nationwide state of emergency, and state television briefly stopped broadcasting. [Adnan Abidi/Reuters]
Sri Lanka
Army soldiers stand guard during the protest outside Sri Lanka's prime minister's office. Protesters accuse the president and his relatives of siphoning money from government coffers for years, and his administration of hastening the country’s collapse by mismanaging the economy. [AFP]