In what has been the largest protest amidst the island's crippling economic crisis, anti-government protestors set fire to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe's private residence in Cambridge Terrace in response to violence unleashed by police para-military on protestors and media personnel.
Protestors and journalists have been getting tear-gassed near the Prime Minister's residence in the moments leading up to the Prime Minister's house being set on fire and in the moments following afterward. Protestors are heard cheering as his house is lit on fire. Fire rescue was seen on its way as the Prime Minister's house continues to be engulfed in flames.
MP Sumanthiran denounced the violence taking place at Wickremasinghe's residence. Sumanthiran has stated on Twitter:
I condemn outright the burning of the private residence of @RW_UNP Violence will not solve anything and is counter-productive. I have had differences of opinion with the PM since he took that post, but this cannot be condoned in anyway. Please end the violence now.
— M A Sumanthiran (@MASumanthiran) July 9, 2022
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