Update: Sri Lanka Prime Minister Forced to Resign, 39 Left Injured in Presidential Palace Protest

By Becca Lower | 12:15 PM on July 09, 2022

The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of RedState.com.

*Protesters outside the presidential palace in Columbo, Sri Lanka, on Saturday. Credit: News Cutter/Twitter*

Earlier on Saturday, we reported on the visible unrest in the south Asian island-nation of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, as thousands of citizens stormed the presidential palace over severe mismanagement of the country and its resources, after leaders bowed to international environmental extremists.

Now, the government has collapsed under pressure, with the resignation of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, and the breach of the residence left 39 injured, according to reports from numerous outlets.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said he was willing to resign to make way for an all-party government after protesters stormed President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s official residence in Colombo https://t.co/O4HdqdCsGf pic.twitter.com/u1KER2YqFd

— Reuters (@Reuters) July 9, 2022

Reuters:

COLOMBO, July 9 (Reuters) – Sri Lanka Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is willing to resign to make way for all-party government, his office said in a statement on Saturday, after thousands of protesters stormed the president’s official residence in Colombo.

Soldiers and police were unable to hold back the crowd of chanting protesters demanding President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s resignation, as public anger grows over the country’s worst economic crisis in seven decades.

Protesters also forced their way through heavy metal gates into the Finance Ministry and the president’s seafront offices.

The report continues:

Wickremesinghe held talks with several political party leaders to decide what steps to take following the unrest.

“Wickremesinghe has told the party leaders that he is willing to resign as Prime Minister and make way for an all-party government to take over,” his office said in a statement.

Wickremesinghe had also been moved to a secure location

Reuters also reports that the nation’s president “left the official residence on Friday as a safety precaution ahead of the planned weekend demonstration, two defence ministry sources said. Reuters could not immediately confirm the president’s whereabouts.”