Protesters Storm Palatial Residence of Sri Lankan President, Swim in His Personal Pool
A massive crowd of angry Sri Lankan citizens stormed the residence of the island nation’s president on Saturday, forcing him to flee. The riots were the culmination of months of protests that have shaken the country of…

A massive crowd of angry Sri Lankan citizens stormed the residence of the island nation’s president on Saturday, forcing him to flee.
The riots were the culmination of months of Protests that have shaken the country of 22 million people as it suffers from record-high inflation and shortages of food and fuel.
Footage from the streets near the presidential palace on Saturday showed thousands of protesters gathering around the building.
Protesters soon overwhelmed law enforcement officials and broke into the palace as President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was evacuated to safety. A photo taken from an eagle-eye perspective showed the sea of people flooding into the residence.
One video shared on Twitter showed protesters lifting weights in a gym in the presidential palace. Another showed demonstrators pillaging the kitchen.
Some protesters also took a dip in the swimming pool at the residence.
“I came here to chase away the president. The situation in the country is not good. He has to go for our country to come out of this abyss,” one protester told


