Security forces shot towards the crowd – it was not immediately clear if they used real rubber spheres or spheres – and used tear gas and water cannons to dissolve protesters, who were asking for the resignation of Raczabaca. Protesters set fire to a military bus parked opposite the lane leading to Rajapaksa’s home in Colombo’s Mirihana neighborhood, as well as a police vehicle. They also tore down a neighbor’s wall and used bricks to attack officers and soldiers. Officials told AFP that Rajapaksa was not at home during the riots, but that military officials had met to discuss the crisis. The capital was placed under an indefinite curfew in the wake of the violence. Four hours after the protest, the area remained closed to vehicles. People shout slogans during protest against the current financial crisis, outside the President’s private residence in Colombo Photo: Chamila Karunarathne / EPA “I can not go home because our area is blocked,” a resident told AFP. “People are shouting for the president and his family to resign.” The nation of South Asia, with a population of 22 million, is in the worst recession since independence, triggered by a severe shortage of foreign currency to pay for even the most basic imports. Diesel – the main fuel for buses and commercial vehicles – was not available at stations across the island on Thursday, according to officials and media reports – crippling public transport. The rally was convened by social media activists who were not immediately identified, but their anger turned to Rajapaksa and his family. The live broadcast of the demonstration by a private television network stopped abruptly after pressure from the government, as journalists said. However, videos posted on social media showed men and women shouting “crazy, crazy go home” and demanding the resignation of all members of the powerful Rajapaksa family. President Mahinda’s older brother serves as prime minister while the youngest – Basil – holds the finance portfolio. Chamal’s older brother is Minister of Agriculture while nephew Namal holds the post of Minister of Sports. Diesel shortages had sparked outrage across Sri Lanka in recent days, but the protests so far have been in cities and have not targeted any top leaders, ahead of Thursday’s events. “We take fuel from buses in the garage for repairs and use this diesel to run repairable vehicles,” said Transport Minister Dilum Amunugama. Private bus owners – who make up two-thirds of the country’s fleet – said they had already run out of oil and that even skeleton services could not be available after Friday. The state electricity monopoly said it had imposed a 13-hour power outage since Thursday – the largest ever – because it did not have diesel for generators. Reservoirs, which provide more than a third of electricity demand through hydropower plants, were also at dangerously low levels. The electricity bill also hit mobile phone base stations and affected call quality, the providers said, adding that their standby generators were also diesel-free. Several state hospitals have stopped performing surgeries as they have run out of essential life-saving drugs. The government has said it is seeking a bailout from the International Monetary Fund and is seeking more loans from India and China. IMF spokesman Jerry Rice told reporters in Washington on Thursday that such talks would begin “in the coming days”, with the Sri Lankan finance minister expected in the US capital.
