Protesters in grounds of Sri Lankan prime minister's office
Protesters inside the Sri Lankan prime minister's office in Colombo after forcing their way past security, as the crisis-hit country declared an indefinite nationwide state of emergency. An army helicopter flies low over the heads of demonstrators in Sri Lanka. The Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has instructed the military and police "to do what is necessary to restore order". Sri Lankans continued to stream into the presidential palace. A growing line of people waited to enter the residence, many of whom had traveled from outside Colombo on public transport. Sri Lankans take a dip in the pool and relax at the garden in the colonial-era presidential palace which has embodied state authority for more than 200 years. It's now become the island's new symbol of people power. Sri Lanka's embattled president flew out of the country to the Maldives, in a probable prelude to his resignation after months of widespread protests against his island nation's worst-ever economic crisis.
