A state of emergency was imposed in Sri Lanka today after widespread protests enveloped Colombo. This came after months of protests against an economic crisis, during which President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled to the Maldives. When protesters attempted to rush the prime minister's office, police fired tear gas at them. Thousands of people crowded Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's office and pressed up against the gates of the Lankan parliament as tear gas shells were fired. The interim president has been announced as Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, according to the house speaker. To control the growing protests, a continuous curfew has been put in place throughout the Western Province, including Colombo. The security forces are to detain rioters, the prime minister instructed.
