Sri Lanka declared a state of emergency on July 13 after the president fled overseas to escape anti-government protests, as thousands of people took to the streets, furious that he had not yet stood down. (Image: AFP)
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President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had promised at the weekend to resign on July 13 after escaping his official residence in Colombo just before tens of thousands of protesters overran it. (Image: AFP)
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Hours later, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was appointed to be acting president as incumbent Gotabaya Rajapaksa was overseas, the parliamentary Speaker announced on July 13 as thousands of protesters demanded both men step down. (Image: AFP)
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Police fired tear gas to hold them back from overrunning the compound and officials declared a nationwide state of emergency "to deal with the situation in the country", the prime minister's spokesman Dinouk Colombage told AFP. (Image: AP)
Police imposed an indefinite curfew across the Western Province, which includes Colombo, "to contain the situation", a senior police officer said. (Image: AFP)
![Police fired tear gas to hold them back from overrunning the compound and officials declared a nationwide state of emergency "to deal with the situation in the country", the prime minister's spokesman Dinouk Colombage told AFP. (Image: AP)](https://images.moneycontrol.com/static-mcnews/2022/07/4-sri-lanka-economic-crisis-emergency.jpg "Police fired tear gas to hold them back from overrunning the compound and officials declared a nationwide state of emergency "to deal with the situation in the country", the prime minister's spokesman Dinouk Colombage told AFP. (Image: AP)")
![Police imposed an indefinite curfew across the Western Province, which includes Colombo, "to contain the situation", a senior police officer said. (Image: AFP)](https://images.moneycontrol.com/static-mcnews/2022/07/8-sri-lanka-economic-crisis-emergency.jpg "Police imposed an indefinite curfew across the Western Province, which includes Colombo, "to contain the situation", a senior police officer said. (Image: AFP)")
