Law enforcement officers in Sri Lanka used tear gas and water cannons to disperse protesters who tried to storm the house of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Report informs, citing The Times of India.
During the crackdown, about 50 people, including journalists covering the protests, were injured, some of them were hospitalized.
Hundreds of people took to the streets at night, chanting slogans demanding the resignation of President Rajapaksa and the government of Sri Lanka. Protesters set fire to a military bus and a police car.
The dissatisfaction of the protesters is associated with a serious economic crisis in the country, which is considered the worst in Sri Lanka since independence in 1948.
According to media reports, people cannot buy gas for domestic needs, there are no medicines, gasoline, and many foodstuffs, because the country faces a shortage of foreign currency, which is paid for goods imported to Sri Lanka.
A number of hospitals have stopped performing surgeries due to a lack of vital medicines.
Earlier, Sri Lankan authorities announced power outages throughout the country for 10-12 hours. Telephone communication also works intermittently.