London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Feb 25, 2026

Selfies, picnics, board games: Inside Sri Lanka's presidential palace day after it was stormed by protesters

Selfies, picnics, board games: Inside Sri Lanka's presidential palace day after it was stormed by protesters

Families with young children and food hampers have been queueing to go into the president's house after a day of protests in which demonstrators stormed the official residence of the head of state and set fire to the prime minister's home in Colombo.

Sri Lankans are roaming through the presidential palace a day after it was stormed by thousands of people angry at the country's worst economic crisis in decades.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe both announced they were going to step down in the face of the protests.

The prime minister's private residence was set on fire on Saturday evening after a day of turmoil in Colombo.

Calm returned to the city on Sunday - but protesters vow to occupy the presidential palace until both leaders have left.

Thousands have been milling in and around the presidential palace with their families, and streams of people with young children and food hampers queuing to go into the president's house.

Speakers have been set up in the trees telling visitors to be patient and queue in a one way system for a "bizarre" tour around the palace.

Indika Jayawaradana, who is visiting the residence along with his wife and two children, says: "They thought we got independence from the British in 1948 but today is our real Independence Day."

Indika Jayawaradana with his wife and kids visits president's house in Sri Lanka

Protesters look around at the president's official residence.

Women using the presidential gym in Sri Lanka


About the president, he adds: "He might leave but he might be replaced with someone loyal to him. I'm worried about that."

The protest organisers, who were some of the first people to break into the residence, have turned into tour guides.

They hurry the crowds to move along and follow instructions from the loudspeakers.

They are in total control of the building. Some police are outside - other officers wander through the crowds, taking photos like everyone else.

39 people hurt during protests


There doesn't appear to be any attempt to stop this.

During the protests on Saturday, 39 people, including two police officers, were hurt.

Police fired shots in the air but they were unable to stop the angry crowd from surrounding the president's residence.

Hundreds of flag-bearing protesters packed inside the president's sea-front property and used the swimming pool on a Facebook livestream.

Picnics and lounging in the palace


Women take selfies by the pool in the presidential residence

People cook in the garden of the Prime Minister's residence

Protesters rest on sofas in the living hall of prime minister's official residence.


Protesters also assembled outside the Presidential Secretariat, the office of the president, and the home of prime minister.

Both Mr Rajapaksa and Mr Wickremesinghe had been moved to a secure location.

Sri Lanka, home to 22 million people, is facing its worst economic crisis in seven decades since it achieved independence in 1948.

Inflation hit a record 54.6% in June and is expected to soar to 70%, piling pressure on the cash-strapped population.

The country has been struggling under a severe foreign exchange shortage that has limited essential imports of fuel, food and medicine.

Many blame the decline on Mr Rajapaksa.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Lord Mandelson Condemns Arrest as Driven by ‘Baseless Suggestion’ He Would Flee Abroad
Former UK Ambassador Released on Bail Following Arrest in Epstein-Linked Investigation
UK Parliament Orders Release of Former Prince Andrew’s Government Vetting Files
Reddit Fined £14 Million by UK Regulator Over Failures in Age Verification Controls
UK Moves to Tighten Regulation of Netflix, Disney+ and Prime Video Under New Media Rules
British Woman Who Reported Rape in Hong Kong Faces Possible Prosecution
'Christianity is the religion that has made this country great.'
Man Receives Parking Ticket 38 Years After Offense: ‘City Officials Said It’s Legitimate’
Woman Receives Gift Card for Christmas – Discovers It Is ‘Worth’ 63,000,000,000,000,000 Pounds
UK Sanctions New Zealand Insurer Maritime Mutual Following Allegations Over Russian Oil Cover
Reform MP Danny Kruger Condemns UK’s ‘Unregulated Sexual Economy’ in Call for Tougher Controls
The Show Must Go On: Prince William and Kate Middleton Shine at the BAFTAs Amid Andrew’s Arrest
UK Sanctions Russian ‘Illicit Oil Traders’ After Email Blunder Exposes Sanctions Evasion Network
Russia Amplifies Baseless Claims That UK and France Plan to Arm Ukraine with Nuclear Weapons
UK Imposes Sanctions on Two Georgian Television Channels Over Alleged Russian Disinformation
United States National Parks See Noticeable Drop in Visitors from Canada, U.K. and Australia
UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand Escalate Sanctions on Russia as Ukraine War Marks Four Years
I Gave Andrew a Nude Massage Inside Buckingham Palace
UK Economy Faces Acute Strain as Trump’s Global Tariff Reshapes Trade Landscape
UK Signals Retaliation Is Possible as New US Tariff Policy Threatens Trade Stability
British Police Arrest Former Ambassador Peter Mandelson in Epstein-Related Misconduct Probe
Australia Officially Supports Proposal to Remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from Royal Succession
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan remains silent on ISIS brides' resettlement plans in Melbourne
Former UK Ambassador Peter Mandelson Arrested in Connection with Jeffrey Epstein
Jacob Rees Mogg afraid to talk about Peter Mandelson arrest on “suspicion of misconduct in a public office” (Pedophilia, corruption, etc.)
United Nations Calls for Global Action Against Disinformation and Hate Speech Online
Tucker Carlson warns of an inevitable clash in Western societies over mass migration
President Trump warns countries against abandoning recent trade deals with the US
Diverging Polls Show Mixed Signals on UK Economic Revival as Confidence Remains Fragile
Spotify Expands AI-Driven ‘Prompted Playlists’ Feature to the United Kingdom and Other Markets
Greens and Reform UK Surge in Manchester By-Election, Threatening Labour’s Historic Stronghold
UK Businesses Push for Closer European Trade Links Amid Renewed US Tariff Uncertainty
Deloitte Global Overhaul Sparks Leadership Contest in the United Kingdom
University of Kentucky and Microsoft to Showcase Campus-Wide AI Innovation
UK Food System Faces Acute Vulnerability to Shocks, Experts Warn
Reform UK’s Proposed ICE-Style Deportation Scheme Triggers Sharp Backlash
U.S. Global Tariff Push Leaves Britain, Australia and Others Facing Higher Costs and Trade Strain
UK Police Officers Guarded 2010 Epstein Dinner Attended by Prince Andrew, Reports Say
US Trade Representative Affirms Commitment to Existing Tariff Agreements with UK and Other Partners
Activists at the Louvre hung a framed Reuters photograph of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor slumped in the back of a car leaving a police station on the day of his arrest
The royal biographer said that he expected the police to 'look at the money trail' - including Sarah Ferguson borrowing money from Epstein
A Protestor screams in NYC: “Bill Gates is on the Epstein’s List…”
FBI and Secret Service Hold Press Conference After Shooting Incident at Mar-a-Lago
Mark Zuckerberg Testifies in Trial Over Social Media's Impact on Children's Mental Health
Maggie Oliver exposes Keir Starmer using letters to close child rapists investigations
Kouri Richie's wrote a children’s book to help her sons grieve the death of their father. Now she’ll stand trial for his murder
New York Braces for Major Snowstorm With Up to 18 Inches Forecast and Blizzard Warnings Issued
Mexican Military Kills CJNG Leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes as Violence Erupts Across Jalisco
Metropolitan Police Deploys Palantir-Powered AI to Flag Potential Officer Misconduct
UK Parliament Rebukes Police Over Ban on Israeli Football Fans
×