Hundreds of Sri Lankans struggled on Monday to use the wide variety of exercise machines in the private palace of the presidential palace, lifting weights and running with treadmills inside a facility that was, until now, the exclusive domain of the ‘besieged president of the country.
For many who had traveled in crowded trains and buses from outside the capital, Colombo, this was the first time they had set their eyes on such a grand residence. The colonial-era structure was a stunning sight, with airy terraces, luxurious living rooms and spacious rooms, a landscaped pool and well-kept lawn.
On Saturday, thousands of angry Sri Lankans descended on the residence angry at President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, whom they blame for an unprecedented economic crisis that has strangled the lives of the country’s 22 million people. They turned the barriers and then swarmed the lawn to enter the palatine residence and occupy it. People use gym equipment at the official residence of the President of Sri Lanka. (AP) Selfies abound as people fill President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s official residence the second day after the assault in Colombo, Sri Lanka. (AP)
Two days later, people continued to come in, greeting it like a tourist attraction, marveling at the paintings inside and resting on the pillow-stuffed beds.
Alawwa Ralage Piyasena, a 67-year-old farmer who arrived by bus from outside Colombo, was surprised by the president’s gym. “I never thought I would get a chance to see these things,” he said, gesturing to the team as he tried to climb on a treadmill.
“Look at the pool and this gym. We can see how they enjoyed a luxurious life here while people struggled outside. Our families suffer without food.”
People use gym equipment at the official residence of the President of Sri Lanka. (AP)
The weekend saw the most dramatic escalation so far of months of protests against the country’s worst economic crisis, with protesters not only forcibly entering the presidential palace, but also stormed the prime minister’s official residence and set fire to the your private home.
The alleged facts led the two leaders to accept his resignation: Rajapaksa, who has not been publicly seen or heard from since, said he would step down on Wednesday. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said he would leave as soon as opposition parties agree on a unity government.
But protest leaders have said they will not leave the official buildings until they have both resigned.
Huge crowds, such as casual tourists, fill President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s official residence for the second day in Colombo, Sri Lanka. (AP)
For months, protesters have been camping outside Rajapaksa’s office, demanding his resignation for having mismanaged the economy. Many have accused him and his powerful and dynastic family, which has ruled Sri Lanka for nearly two decades, of corruption and political mistakes that plunged the island nation into crisis.
The patience of the people has become more and more, with the crisis that has caused shortages of fuel, medicines, food and gas for cooking. Authorities have temporarily closed schools, while the country depends on the help of India and other nations as it tries to negotiate a bailout with the International Monetary Fund. Wickremesinghe recently said negotiations with the IMF were complex because Sri Lanka was now a bankrupt state.
Sri Lanka announced in April that it was suspending the repayment of foreign loans due to currency shortages. Its total foreign debt amounts to $ 51 billion ($ 75.64 billion), of which it will have to pay $ 28 billion ($ 41.53 billion) by the end of 2027.
Protesters swim in a pool at the president’s official residence a day after the assault in Colombo, Sri Lanka. (AP)
Severe fuel shortages have drowned out transportation, forcing many to use public buses, trains and even bicycles to get around. Hundreds of people clung to the roofs of crowded trains to make their way to the presidential palace.
The light blue pool turns muddy brown
At first, thousands of people stormed the residence angrily, waving the national flag and chanting “Drop Go Home!” But since Rajapaksa announced his resignation, many of those arriving now were jubilant, strolling through the vast residence as tourists. Inside and outside the complex, dozens of unarmed police patrolled the area, but did not prevent the deluge of crowds from entering.
On Monday, the venue was packed. Official residence had been banned from the general public, and even guests could only access certain areas.
Those in Sri Lanka are climbing an makeshift scaffolding to hoist the national flag near the site of a national protest in Colombo, Sri Lanka. (AP)
People looked at each room, settled on the beds and took plenty of selfies. But no one dared to dive into the pool on Monday, after videos on social media showed crowds splashing with joy over the weekend. Now the water that was once clear and blue had turned a muddy brown.
In the lush green gardens outside, the groups gathered for snacks, drinking soda and tea, as if they were having a picnic with friends and family.
“This is from the village,” said Padama Gamage, a worker, who was traveling on a bus from Galle, in the southwestern tip of the country. “Now I know how these leaders enjoyed luxury at our expense.”
People are taking pictures at the official residence of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in Colombo, Sri Lanka. (AP)
Not everyone was relaxing, though. Groups of volunteers joined in, sweeping broken chairs and glass from damaged windows, a sign of the rage that swept through Saturday. They tried to control the crowd, saying some people were vandalizing the property again.
“If allowed, they would even grab doors and windows, so we are trying to control the crowd,” said Bulupitiyage Suresh, a 29-year-old who has been protesting against Rajapaksa for more than a month.
Welihitiyawe Dhammawimala, a Buddhist monk, lamented the damage, saying public money will now be spent on renovating the site. “If Rajapaksa had resigned earlier, this would not have happened,” he said.
A protester intends to address the nation using a podium at the official residence of the President of Sri Lanka. (AP)
Nearby, people were waiting in a long queue to enter the president’s office, now occupied by protesters who had been gathering outside for months. The line lengthened every day, almost resembling the long queues that people have been forced to wait for months to get fuel.
A few miles away, the official residence of the prime minister, known as Temple Trees, was also invaded by protesters. Crowds of singers gathered around a man playing a piano inside, while others grouped around a Carrom board game or slept on sofas full of stuffing. Outside, people cooked rice and curry, offering it freely to pedestrians.
Back at Rajapaksa’s official residence, Supun Dhammika, a student, became angry at the family’s legacy in the country.
“The fall of the presidential residence into the hands of protesters and the public symbolizes the fall of the Rajapaksa dynasty,” he said.
Army soldiers stand guard at President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s office in Colombo, Sri Lanka. (AP)
“If they think they can come back from that, it’s just a dream. They ruined the country and they have no right to ask people for votes ever again.”