Amid the ongoing political crisis and anti-government protests in Sri Lanka, the country has found for itself new selfie points near burnt buses and cars submerged in ponds outside the Prime Minister's residence in Colombo.
People were seen walking on the streets outside the office of the Prime Minister near Temple Tree, taking selfies in front of buses that were set to flames by the protesters and cars submerged in the ponds .
Until a few days ago, the Temple Tree office was occupied by the now-former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.
"I am not going to school for four days due to the ongoing protest in Colombo and today we are here with my family, I have taken many selfies here to show my friends," one of the visitors, Asma Ismat, told news agency ANI.Sri Lanka | Burnt buses and sunken cars become a new selfie point in Colombo
"People are taking selfies here as they want to take it as memory, many people could not join protests, they are taking selfies to show solidarity with the protesters," said Clifford, a local resident pic.twitter.com/UpTKzwRLXF
— ANI (@ANI) May 12, 2022
"People are taking a selfie here because they want to take it as a memory, many people could not join the protest due to some reason... taking a selfie is showing solidarity with the protesters," Clifford, a private corporate company employee, who stopped his motorbike in the area to take selfies told ANI.
After three days of curfew in the Island nation, the defence forces were ordered by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Tuesday to shoot at sight all those who plunder public property or cause personal harm.
Read more: Video: Mahinda Rajapaksa supporters attack protestors in Sri Lanka
The protests in Sri Lanka which were going on relatively peacefully for weeks turned violent on Monday after alleged attacks launched by the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) loyalists on anti-government protesters near the Temple Trees and at the Galle Face Green in Colombo.
Mahinda Rajapaksa and some of his family members were shifted to Trincomalee Naval Base, a day after he resigned following violent protests.Several buses were burnt and cars fell into ponds near the PM's residence in Colombo.
(With inputs from ANI)