Violence erupts in Sri Lanka after leader’s brother quits as PM

Bloomberg

Violence erupted in Sri Lanka after the brother of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigned as prime minister, with local reports saying protesters targeted the homes and properties of ruling-party lawmakers after pro-government groups attacked the demonstrators.
The ancestral home of the Rajapaksa family in the southern district of Hambantota was set on fire, and police were forced to use tear gas to disperse protesters who tried to storm the prime minister’s residence in Colombo’s Temple Trees neighborhood, the DailyMirror newspaper reported. Several calls to the police spokesman seeking confirmation of the news reports went unanswered.
The destruction came after a day of fast-moving events in Sri Lanka, which has faced months of street protests as Asia’s fastest inflation and mismanagement of government finances lead to shortages of food and fuel. The government supporters clashed with Rajapaksa’s opponents who have camped out in downtown Colombo for weeks to demand his resignation, prompting the government to impose a nationwide curfew and call in the army.
Later, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa submitted his resignation as the family sought to stem the momentum of protesters calling for the entire family to step aside, leading to the dissolution of the cabinet. The president issued a statement inviting all parties in parliament to join together in a united national government to get through the crisis. But protesters defied the curfew and began attacking the homes of Rajapaksa allies.
The day of violence has left Gotabaya Rajapaksa more isolated, with no government in place to lead Sri Lanka’s ongoing talks with the International Monetary Fund for emergency funds to buy food and fuel.