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Sri Lanka imposes state of emergency and curfew as protesters storm PM Ranil Wickremesinghe's office

A curfew is in place until Thursday morning across the nation of 22 million people, as President Rajapaksa is yet to officially submit his resignation.

Olive Enokido-Lineham

OSINT producer

Thursday 14 July 2022 11:35, UK

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Protesters have stormed the office of Sri Lanka's prime minister, also now the acting president, as police used tear gas against crowds.

This story is out of date. Latest: Army authorised to use 'necessary force' in Sri Lanka after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa breaks promise to resign

A state of emergency has been imposed and a nationwide curfew is in place until Thursday morning.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled to the Maldives on Tuesday and made Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe acting president after months of turmoil and economic crisis.

Mr Wickremesinghe has asked the parliamentary speaker to nominate a new prime minister and insists he won't leave until a new government is in place.

In recent days, protesters have occupied several government buildings demanding leaders step down, showing their anger over a three-month economic crisis.

People have flocked to the presidential palace - swimming in the pool, marvelling at the paintings and lounging on the beds.

On Wednesday, protesters also scaled the wall of Mr Wickremesinghe's office compound as large crowds cheered in support and waved the Sri Lankan flag.

Police fired several rounds of tear gas and a military helicopter briefly circled overhead, but protesters appeared undeterred and surged into the compound.

Some who made it inside sprawled on elegant sofas and held mock meetings in the conference rooms.

Demonstrators also took over the country's national TV broadcaster, Rupavahini.

Mr Rajapaksa left the country on Tuesday evening in a military jet with his wife and two bodyguards.

The president was expected to head to Singapore after the Maldives, a government source told Reuters.

The source, who declined to be identified, said Mr Rajapaksa could send his resignation to the speaker of the Sri Lankan parliament when he landed.

'We want our true freedom' - Nicole Johnston on the scene

Police fired tear gas, protesters kicked it back and a few bare-chested men strode defiantly up to security forces and yelled in their faces.

The next four hours became a back and forth between the people and the police.

Eventually the crowd's sheer determination won them entry to another coveted building in Colombo.

They busted in and hundreds of people streamed through its newly renovated colonial-era rooms.

Sky News was here six weeks ago to interview Mr Wickremesinghe - who said the country was "broke".

Now protesters want him to resign. They regard him as a Rajapaksa loyalist.

Meyuni Perera travelled to join young people demonstrating on the streets.

She hopes to stay until there is a complete change of government, but her parents want her to go home.

"We actually don't have a future in this country. There's no future for anyone," she said.

"I love my country and I need my country to rebuild but if this continues we will all have to leave."

Thanura Srimal also holds no hope for his future and was outraged to see police firing tear gas at people.

鈥淲e want a peaceful country we don鈥檛 want them (the Rajapaksas) to rob the country," he said.

Inside the grounds, some people played music while others spread out on thick grass, taking a rest after a high energy morning of dodging tear gas cannisters.

Colombo is now under curfew again.

By late afternoon the streets were largely empty, trains had stopped running and the queues of thousands lining up to enter the presidential palace had disappeared.

Sri Lanka's defence chief, General Shavendra Silva, has called for calm.

"We have requested political leaders to decide the way forward till a new president is sworn in and notify us and the public by this evening," Mr Silva said.

Protesters have vowed to occupy the government buildings until the top leaders are gone and are calling for the prime minister to resign.

Read more: What is happening in Sri Lanka?

Sri Lankan politicians agreed to elect a new president next week but have struggled to decide on the makeup of a new government to lift the bankrupt country out of economic and political collapse.

The new president will serve the remainder of Mr Rajapaksa's term, which ends in 2024.

However, the promised resignations have not put an end to the crisis.

At one point, protesters also burned the prime minister's private home.

The economic crisis in Sri Lanka has triggered severe food and fuel shortages resulting in people queuing for hours to buy supplies.

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