London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Nov 07, 2025

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
UK Signals Major Shift as Nuclear Arms Race Looms
BBC’s « Celebrity Traitors UK » Finale Breaks Records with 11.1 Million Viewers
UK Spy Case Collapse Highlights Implications for UK-Taiwan Strategic Alignment
On the Road to the Oscars? Meghan Markle to Star in a New Film
A Vote Worth a Trillion Dollars: Elon Musk’s Defining Day
AI Researchers Claim Human-Level General Intelligence Is Already Here
President Donald Trump Challenges Nigeria with Military Options Over Alleged Christian Killings
Nancy Pelosi Finally Announces She Will Not Seek Re-Election, Signalling End of Long Congressional Career
UK Pre-Budget Blues and Rate-Cut Concerns Pile Pressure on Pound
ITV Warns of Nine-Per-Cent Drop in Q4 Advertising Revenue Amid Budget Uncertainty
National Grid Posts Slightly Stronger-Than-Expected Half-Year Profit as Regulatory Investments Drive Growth
UK Business Lobby Urges Reeves to Break Tax Pledges and Build Fiscal Headroom
UK to Launch Consultation on Stablecoin Regulation on November 10
UK Savers Rush to Withdraw Pension Cash Ahead of Budget Amid Tax-Change Fears
Massive Spoilers Emerge from MAFS UK 2025: Couple Swaps, Dating App Leaks and Reunion Bombshells
Kurdish-led Crime Network Operates UK Mini-Marts to Exploit Migrants and Sell Illicit Goods
UK Income Tax Hike Could Trigger £1 Billion Cut to Scotland’s Budget, Warns Finance Secretary
Tommy Robinson Acquitted of Terror-related Charge After Phone PIN Dispute
Boris Johnson Condemns Western Support for Hamas at Jewish Community Conference
HII Welcomes UK’s Westley Group to Strengthen AUKUS Submarine Supply Chain
Tragedy in Serbia: Coach Mladen Žižović Collapses During Match and Dies at 44
Diplo Says He Dated Katy Perry — and Justin Trudeau
Dick Cheney, Former U.S. Vice President, Dies at 84
Trump Calls Title Removal of Andrew ‘Tragic Situation’ Amid Royal Fallout
UK Bonds Rally as Chancellor Reeves Briefs Markets Ahead of November Budget
UK Report Backs Generational Smoking Ban Ahead of Tobacco & Vapes Bill Review
UK’s Domino’s Pizza Group Reports Modest Like-for-Like Sales Growth in Q3
UK Supplies Additional Storm Shadow Missiles to Ukraine as Trump Alleges Russian Underground Nuclear Tests
High-Profile Broodmare Puca Sells for Five Million Dollars at Fasig-Tipton ‘Night of the Stars’
Wilt Chamberlain’s One-of-a-Kind ‘Searcher 1’ Supercar Heads to Auction
Erling Haaland’s Remarkable Run: 13 Premier League Goals in 10 Matches and Eyes on History
UK Labour Peer Warns of Emerging ‘Constituency for Hating Jews’ in Britain
UK Home Secretary Admits Loss of Border Control, Warns Public Trust at Risk
President Trump Expresses Sympathy for UK Royal Family After Title Stripping of Prince Andrew
Former Prince Andrew to Lose His Last Military Title as King Charles Moves to End His Public Role
King Charles Relocates Andrew to Sandringham Estate and Strips Titles Amid Epstein Fallout
Two Arrested After Mass Stabbing on UK Train Leaves Ten Hospitalised
Glamour UK Says ‘Stay Mad Jo x’ After Really Big Rowling Backlash
Former Prince Prince Andrew Faces Possible U.S. Congressional Appearance Over Jeffrey Epstein Inquiry
UK Faces £20 Billion Productivity Shortfall as Brexit’s Impact Deepens
UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves Eyes New Council-Tax Bands for High-Value Homes
UK Braces for Major Storm with Snow, Heavy Rain and Winds as High as 769 Miles Wide
U.S. Secures Key Southeast Asia Agreements to Reshape Rare Earth Supply Chains
US and China Agree One-Year Trade Truce After Trump-Xi Talks
BYD Profit Falls 33 % as Chinese EV Maker Doubles Down on Overseas Markets
US Philanthropists Shift Hundreds of Millions to UK to Evade Regulatory Uncertainty in Trump Era
Israeli Energy Minister Delays $35 Billion Gas Export Agreement with Egypt
King Charles Strips Prince Andrew of Titles and Royal Residence
Trump–Putin Budapest Summit Cancelled After Moscow Memo Raises Conditions for Ukraine Talks
Amazon Shares Soar 11% as Cloud Business Hits Fastest Growth Since 2022
×