Sri Lanka’s president has once more declared a state of emergency on the island, as police fired tear gas at anti-government protestors earlier today.
According to the President's Media Division, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has declared a state of emergency effective midnight on 6 May.
The state of emergency comes amidst ongoing unrest over the economic crisis on the island. Earlier in the day, Sri Lankan police were caught on video assaulting protestors and firing tear gas. Yesterday evening an officer opened fire in Amparai leaving 2 civilians hospitalized.
This will be the second state of emergency declared by Rajapaksa since last month. Numerous human rights organizations have denounced Rajapaksa's use of the state of emergency.