Thousands of protesters in Sri Lanka have broken through police barricades and stormed the president’s official residence, news reports have said.
In one of the largest anti-government marches in the country this year, the protesters are demanding the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
Thousands of people swarmed into Sri Lanka capital Colombo’s government district, shouting slogans against the president and dismantling several police barricades to reach Mr Rajapaksa’s house, according to the Reuters news agency.
Police fired shots in the air but were unable to stop the angry crowd from surrounding the presidential residence.
At least 21 people including two police officers have been hurt by the unrest, hospital sources said.
The president was removed from his official premises as a safety precaution, according to two defence ministry sources, as hundreds of protestors were seen packed inside the property on a Facebook livestream.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has now summoned the political party leaders for an emergency meeting in the wake of the violence.