Sri Lanka anti-government protests continue despite curfew

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Defying a nationwide curfew in Sri Lanka, a few hundred protesters continued to chant slogans against the government Tuesday, a day after violent clashes saw the resignation of the prime minister who is blamed, along with his brother, the president, for leading the country into its worst economic crisis in decades.

Protesters swarmed the entrance to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s office in the capital, Colombo, for the 32nd day to demand that he follow in his brother’s footsteps and quit. The site outside Rajapaksa’s office has seen sustained crowds of thousands for weeks, but had dropped to a few hundred on Tuesday due to a strict curfew, following clashes yesterday that left four dead.

A government decree issued Monday night confirmed the resignation of Mahinda Rajapaksa, the prime minister.

Local television visuals showed the anti-government protesters shouting slogans for the president to resign and also rebuilding tents damaged in Monday’s attack.

The prime minister’s resignation came after violence erupted in front of the Rajapaksas’ offices as his supporters hit the protesters with wooden and iron poles. Authorities swiftly deployed armed troops in many parts of the country and imposed a curfew until Wednesday.

The ambush by the supporters triggered immediate anger and chaos, as people started attacking ruling party politicians. More than a dozen houses belonging to ruling party leaders were vandalized and set ablaze.

At least four people including a ruling party lawmaker were killed and nearly 200 were wounded Monday night.

The South Asian island nation has been seething for more than a month, as protests have spread from the capital to the countryside. It has drawn people from across ethnicities, religions and classes and has even...