Colombo, April 1, 2022

Fifty-four people have been arrested in Sri Lanka for rioting outside the president’s residence and damaging state property during a protest against fuel shortages, power cuts and the rising cost of living.

A protest outside President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s residence in Mirihana, 14 kilometres south of the capital, turned violent when protestors attacked police with stones.

The protesters also burnt two buses and three motorcycles, Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said.

Police and commandos retaliated with teargas and used rubber bullets and water cannon to disperse an estimated 3,000 people involved in the protest.

More than 50 people including 24 police officers were injured in the clashes.

The president’s office said that a group of “organised extremists’’ among the protestors had started the riot and prompted the violence.

Though the protest was the first to be held outside the president’s residence, a string of protests have taken place across the country in recent weeks.

Sri Lanka is currently facing a shortage of fuel for power generation, resulting in daily power cuts lasting about 13 hours.

The country is currently facing a shortage of foreign exchange required for the purchase of fuel, gas and food supplies, prompting the government to seek credit lines from India and China.

More protests are scheduled to take place on Sunday.