Protesters Occupy Sri Lankan Prime Minister's Office

Storyful

Protesters were seen standing on the roof of the Sri Lankan prime minister’s office in Colombo after they stormed the building on Wednesday, July 13.

Footage posted by Priyan Chathuranga shows protesters on the roof waving the Sri Lankan flag, while others sit in windowsills.

The demonstration came after Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country to the Maldives on a military jet and appointed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe acting president, the BBC reported.

Wickremesinghe on Wednesday imposed an emergency law island-wide and ordered security forces to arrest those acting in a “riotous manner, Sri Lanka’s Daily Mirror newspaper reported. The BBC also reported the acting president told Sri Lanka’s military to do “whatever is necessary to restore order” following Wednesday’s storming of his office.

Rajapaksa had said he would step down on Wednesday after weeks of protests sparked by economic turmoil, but no official resignation was received by his office, WION reported. Credit: Priyan Chathuranga via Storyful

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