Sri Lanka: Protesters Flex at Presidential Gym, Run on Treadmill As Gotabaya Remains in Hiding | WATCH

A day after anti-government protesters in Sri Lanka stormed embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s official residence in Colombo, the colonial-era presidential palace on Sunday emerged as a tourist spot with thousands entering the premises, diving into the compound’s pool, using sophisticated equipments at the gym and queuing to sit on the President’s chair.

Dramatic visuals showed protesters running on the treadmills in the gym and taking turns to use the equipments inside the presidential gym.

According to a report by Sri Lankan media organisation News Wire, protesters were also seen using the gym equipment inside Temple Trees, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe residence.

In other videos, agitators were also seen watching TV, lounging in the opulent rooms and having “royal lunches” and picnics at the premises. “Country is free of corruption, everything is peaceful. Came here to celebrate with family and children. We are all having lunch here in the Presidential palace,” a local told ANI news agency. “This is the first time we have entered the president’s house. We have got a good opportunity so I think that the whole country is peaceful now. The corrupted will be finished. I got a chance with my kids to come and have lunch in here. Lunch at Presidential house. A royal lunch.”

Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Wickremesinghe offered to resign after hundreds of protesters occupied their homes protesting over the mishandling the economy on Saturday. The protesters stormed into Rajapaksa’s residence in central Colombo’s high-security Fort area after breaking the barricades while another group entered the private residence of Prime Minister Wickremesinghe and set it on fire.

Embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, 73, fled the presidential palace using a back entrance under military cover moments before hundreds entered the premised despite heavy troops deployment. He is currently holed up in a navy ship offshore and his location is still unknown. His only communication outside since the protesters stormed into the city has been with the Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, who announced late Saturday night that the President would resign on Wednesday. President Rajapaksa informed the Speaker about this decision to quit after Abeywardena wrote to him seeking his resignation following the all-party meeting of leaders held Saturday evening.

On Sunday, however, protestors said they would continue to occupy the premise until the president resigns, citing lack of “trust” in the leader. “Our protests will continue till July 13 till the time President resigns. For 6 months a group of people will stay here while others will move back. We want justice, we are protesting for our rights,” Sahajay, a protester told ANI.

“Sri Lankan President announced his resignation, we’re waiting for official confirmation. We will be here till 13th July as we don’t trust him, he has already sold our country. We just entered premises & shown that people have more power than politicians,” another protestor, Akushla Fernando said.

World Reacts

India said it stands with the people of Sri Lanka as they seek to realise their aspirations for prosperity and progress through democratic means, values and constitutional framework. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said India continues to closely follow the developments in Sri Lanka and that it is aware of the many challenges that the country and its people have been facing.

“In pursuance of the central place that Sri Lanka occupies in our Neighbourhood First policy, India has extended this year itself an unprecedented support of over USD 3.8 billion for ameliorating the serious economic situation in Sri Lanka,” Bagchi said.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday that Russia’s restrictions on Ukrainian grain exports and the resulting rise in prices “may have contributed” to Sri Lanka’s economic turmoil. The European Union urged “all parties to cooperate and focus on a peaceful, democratic and orderly transition”.

Sri Lanka Crisis

Sri Lanka, a country of 22 million people, is reeling from an unprecedented economic turmoil, the worst in seven decades, crippled by an acute shortage of foreign exchange that has left it struggling to pay for essential imports of fuel, and other essentials. The country, with an acute foreign currency crisis that resulted in foreign debt default, had announced in April that it is suspending nearly USD 7 billion foreign debt repayment due for this year out of about USD 25 billion due through 2026. Sri Lanka’s total foreign debt stands at USD 51 billion.

(With inputs from agencies)

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