Sri Lanka Police Opens Fire At Protestors Demanding President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's Ouster

“Protestors attempted to set fire to a fuel bowser, as well as a three-wheeler causing damaging to property,” said spokesperson SSP of Sri Lanka police.

Sri Lanka Police on Tuesday, April 19 opened fire on the protesting civilians, injuring several, as they flooded streets demonstrating against the acute fuel shortage as well as the ongoing political and economic turmoil that has driven the Southeast Asian nation into a devastating food shortage.

In a statement released on Tuesday, Colombo’s police justified the act, saying it had resorted to shooting at the angry group of protesters who were “obstructing the Rambukkana Railway Crossing since early morning.” Police spokesperson SSP Nihal Thalduwa, meanwhile, stated that ahead of taking such a dire measure, the officers had issued warnings to the protestors to vacate the area, nonetheless, there was zero compliance as the protesters went berserk and set public property ablaze.