Colombo

Demanding the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, anti-government Sri Lankan protesters on Saturday stormed the President's House in Colombo braving several police and military barricades and tear gas shells.

At least 20 people have been hospitalised following violent clashes between the police and the protesters.

The President's whereabouts are currently unknown but it is suspected that he is at the heavily-guarded Army headquarters in Battaramulla.

A major people's protest march to Colombo from around the island for Saturday had been planned by religious leaders, political parties, medical practitioners, university teachers, civil rights activists, farmers, and fishermen demanding the resignation of President Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Protesters jumped into the pool of the Presidential house and the video of many enjoying a swin were posted on and a shared by many people:

Protesters seen having a swim at the President's house in Srilanka 😂

pic.twitter.com/zXCZqRN1sN

— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) July 9, 2022

In the wake of the island nation's worst economic crisis since it gained independence in 1948, people have been protesting since March 31 against President Rajapaksa and his government, asking him to step down.

With no fuel, the country's transportation has been stopped completely for two weeks and Indian ocean island is virtually under lockdown.

The island nation of 22 million people has witnessed its foreign exchange reserves shrink due to economic mismanagement and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

As a result, it has struggled to pay for imports of essential goods, including fuel, food and medicine.

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In May, it defaulted on its debts for the first time in its history after a 30-day grace period to come up with $78 million of unpaid debt interest payments expired.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has called an emergency meeting of his party leaders to find a resolution.