Sri Lankan protesters occupied the entrance to the president's office for a second day on Sunday, demanding Gotabaya Rajapaksa resign over the debt-ridden country's worst economic crisis in memory.
Hundreds of demonstrators weathered heavy rain with raincoats and umbrellas and chanted anti-government slogans. Some called for the entire Parliament to disband to make way for a younger leadership.
"We will send them home, take the people's money back and send them to jail," said Pushpakumara. "These people are destroying the country that we saved and it is sad to see the army and police protecting them."The Indian Ocean island nation is on the brink of bankruptcy, saddled with US$25 billion foreign debt -- nearly US$7 billion of which is due this year alone -- and dwindling foreign reserves.
Critics accuse the Rajapaksa brothers of borrowing heavily to finance projects that earn no money, such as a port facility built with Chinese loans."When the people ask you to go, you should go democratically," said Madush. "Anyone can see that the people don't like him anymore but he doesn't like to let go of power."