Protesters Play Music, Sing Inside Presidential Secretariat Premises in Colombo

Protesters thronged the premises of the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo’s Galle Face area, a location synonymous with months of protests sparked by economic turmoil, on Wednesday, July 13.

Footage posted by Faz Markar shows speakers set up on the grounds, as people sing and play music.

The latest protest came after Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country to the Maldives on a military jet with his wife and two security officials, News First reported. Rajapaksa had said he would step down on July 13.

On July 13, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe imposed an emergency law island-wide and ordered security forces to arrest those acting in a “riotous manner,” according to the Daily Mirror.

On Wednesday, protesters entered Temple Trees, the Prime Minister’s residence in Colombo. Credit: fazmarkar via Storyful