Sri Lanka's Jan 6 moment? Thousands storm president's house in Colombo, Rajapaksa moved to safety

NEW DELHI: Anti-government protesters, by the hundreds, stormed the Sri Lankan president's residence in Colombo on Saturday as resistance by security forces appeared to collapse.

But the man towards whom all their anger was directed- President Gotabaya Rajapaksa- had been moved out of the building on Friday night itself by the country's defence forces.

In scenes eerily similar to those seen at the Capitol in Washington DC on January 6, 2021, crowds stormed the premises.

Live updates: Protesters storm Sri Lanka president's residence

Thousands of protesters broke open the gates of the sea-front presidential secretariat, which has been the site of a sit-in protest for months, and entered the premises, TV footage showed. Hundreds milled about on the grounds outside the colonial-era white-washed building. No security officials were visible.



Military personnel and police were unable to hold back the crowd, as they chanted slogans asking Rajapaksa to step down.

Some protesters, holding Sri Lankan flags and helmets, broke into the president's residence, video footage from local TV news NewsFirst channel showed.

In pics: Protesters storm Sri Lanka president's house

A grand hall, a large dinner table, a lounge decked with sofas- invaders thronged every nook and corner of the palatial building.

A Facebook livestream from inside the president's house showed hundreds of protesters, some draped in flags, packing into rooms and corridors, shouting slogan's against Rajapaksa.

A video even showed many taking a dip in the private pool inside the premises.

Unlike the US Capitol riots, when the forces were caught off-guard, Sri Lanka's security agencies had probably anticipated what turn the situation might take.

Two defence ministry sources said President Rajapaksa was removed from the official residence on Friday for his safety ahead of the planned rally over the weekend. His whereabouts remain unknown; however a viral video on social media showed a VIP motorcade reaching the Colombo international airport where a SriLanka Airlines aircraft was parked.

People had started pouring into Colombo for the rally in huge numbers, forcing authorities to lift a curfew in the face of mass defiance.

Police withdrew the stay-home order issued the previous evening after opposition parties, rights activists and the bar association threatened to sue the police chief.

Thousands of anti-government protesters ignored the curfew and even forced railway authorities to operate trains to take them to Colombo for Saturday's rally, officials said.

(With agency inputs)