On Saturday, Sri Lanka imposed a three-day island-wide curfew after mass protests erupted in the capital city of Colombo over mounting public discontent with the government's efforts in dealing with the economic crisis that has gripped the country for the past three years. Protesters demanded the president resign.
According to the Colombo Gazette, 644 people were arrested in Western Province during the night for violating the curfew imposed to prevent an alleged Arab spring-style coup, the police claimed.
On Friday, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declared a nationwide state of emergency to ensure "public security and maintenance of public order".
Protesters run to take cover as police uses tear gas shells to disperse them during a protest outside Sri Lankan president's private residence on the outskirts of Colombo, Sri Lanka, Thursday, March 31, 2022.
© AP Photo / Eranga Jayawardena
Sri Lanka is now facing the worst economic crisis since gaining independence in 1948. The recession is attributed to foreign exchange shortages caused by the clampdown on tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic. That left the country unable to buy enough fuel, with people facing acute scarcity of food and basic necessities, heating fuel, and gas.
The Arab Spring is a series of anti-government uprisings that started in Tunisia in 2010 and spread to other Arab countries, including Egypt, Libya, Syria, Yemen, and Bahrain. The consequences of the deadly protests, including the overthrowing of the governments in Yemen and Egypt and the longstanding civil war in Syria, continue to impact Middle Eastern and North African politics to this day.
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