Sri Lankan forces raid anti-government protest camp as President Ranil Wickremesinghe takes workplace

Sri Lankan safety forces raided a protest camp occupying authorities grounds in the primary metropolis of Colombo early on Friday and cleared out a piece of it, an indication that the nation’s new president was cracking down a day after his swearing-in.

Media footage confirmed troopers in riot gear and armed with assault rifles tearing down the camp, arrange in April by protesters enraged with the nation’s financial collapse that has prompted extreme shortages of gasoline, meals and medicines.

“A joint operation involving the military, police and police special forces was launched in the early hours to recover the presidential secretariat from the protesters as they have no legal right to hold it,” police spokesperson Nalin Thalduwa instructed Reuters. “Nine people, including two injured, have been arrested.”

Protesters had feared a crackdown was imminent below new President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was seen as an ally of his ousted predecessor, Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Protest organisers mentioned tons of of safety personnel surrounded the “Gota Go Gama” protest camp, mockingly named after Rajapaksa, after midnight after which took aside a piece of it.

#WATCH | Sri Lanka: Entry to Galle Face protest website in Colombo blocked & barricaded by safety personnel amid a late-night clampdown on protestors pic.twitter.com/bvALgHb5QI

— ANI (@ANI) July 21, 2022

As daylight broke, dozens of troops marched by way of the realm and rows of protest tents that stood on either side of the primary highway that passes in entrance of the workplace of the president utterly cleared out. Dozens of protesters stood by, newly arrange barricades and safety personnel.

At least 50 protesters have been injured, the organisers mentioned, together with some journalists who have been crushed by safety forces. Hospital sources mentioned two have been hospitalised.

“They beat us really cruelly,” mentioned Buddhika Abeyrathne, 34, a protester who witnessed the raid however didn’t seem injured himself. “Mr Wickremesinghe doesn’t know what democracy is.”

Sri Lanka is below a state of emergency since Monday. Previous emergency rules have been used to offer powers to the army to detain and arrest protesters, and curtail the precise to protest.

Wickremesinghe, the previous prime minister, was sworn into workplace on Thursday after successful a parliamentary vote this week, following the resignation of Rajapaksa who fled to Singapore within the wake of large public protests triggered by the nation’s worst financial disaster in seven many years.

‘Despicable’

The president is predicted to nominate Rajapaksa ally Dinesh Gunewardena as prime minister together with a brand new cabinet in a while Friday.

After surrounding the protest camp, safety personnel moved in entrance of the presidential secretariat, began dismantling some tents and assaulted protesters, protest organiser Manjula Samarasekara mentioned.

Security forces appeared to have taken management of all the secretariat, with many extra personnel seen contained in the constructing perimeter that was earlier this month seized by protesters, together with the president and prime minister’s official residences. The residences have been later handed again to authorities authorities.

Protest organiser Chameera Dedduwage instructed Reuters that they had deliberate at hand over the presidential secretariat to authorities authorities on Friday afternoon. Police mentioned that they had no info on that.

“The excessive force and the violence used to remove protesters is a marked difference from what Sri Lanka needs right now, especially when the protesters had already said they will vacate the premises,” mentioned Bhavani Fonseka, a senior researcher at Colombo-based suppose tank Center for Policy Alternatives.

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka mentioned the crackdown might destabilise the nation, which is in want of international help and a bailout from the International Monetary Fund.

“The use of the armed forces to suppress civilian protests on the very first day in office of the new president is despicable and will have serious consequences on our country’s social, economic and political stability,” the collective of attorneys mentioned in an announcement.

US and British diplomats additionally expressed concern.

“We urge restraint by authorities and immediate access to medical attention for those injured,” US Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Julie Chung, mentioned on Twitter.