Sri Lanka has witness a plethora of protests over the weekend prompting a string of cabinet ministers and the central bank governor to resign. Protestors in the capital city are defying curfew orders and taking to the streets to express their grievances amid the country’s worst economic crisis in decades. Among those who have resigned is the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Youth and Sports, who is also the President’s nephew. The resignations come after weeks of turmoil in which the island experienced a foreign exchange crisis that resulted in currency devaluation. The devaluation caused the cost of basic goods such as food, medicine, and fuel to skyrocket.
Sri Lankans have witnessed long lines at supermarkets, gas stations, and pharmacies coupled with hours-long power blackouts impacting a significant portion of the country. Public anger over these events boiled over into violent protests last week that occurred in Colombo. Demonstrators were witnessed throwing bricks and setting fires outside of the President’s residence. The government declared a state of emergency on Friday due to the protests. The state of emergency was coupled with the imposition of a curfew in parts of the city, which was ignored on Sunday.
Read More: Sri Lanka ministers resign as protests erupt over economic crisis