How Sri Lanka Protests Led to a "Reawakening of the Citizen" & Pushed Out President & Prime Minister

July 13, 2022
Source: www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEcY6N1kTko

Thousands of protesters in Sri Lanka have stormed the homes of the president and prime minister and are refusing to leave until the president officially resigns, as he faces accusations of corruption that bankrupted the country and led to a massive economic crisis. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is set to formally step down Wednesday and has reportedly tried to flee the country. We go to the capital Colombo to speak with Bhavani Fonseka, a human rights lawyer and a senior researcher at the Centre for Policy Alternatives, who has been participating in the protest. She describes the months of peaceful protest that led to this moment. "Considering the crisis and considering the demands of the people that there has to be a change, we need to look to general elections as soon as the environment is conducive," notes Fonseka.