When Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa stepped out for a public outing on Sunday, he was greeted with boos and heckles. This was his first outing since nationwide protests erupted demanding his ruling family resign over the worsening economic crisis.
Rajapaksa was visiting one of the holiest Buddhist temples in Anuradhapura which houses a reputedly 2,300-year-old tree.
Dozens of protesters carried placards and chanted slogans demanding that "thieves" be banned from the city.
"We will worship you if you stand down (as Prime Minister) and leave," one man shouted.
Months of blackouts and acute shortages of food, fuel and medicines have caused widespread suffering across the South Asian island in its worst economic downturn since independence in 1948.
Heavily armed Special Task Force (STF) commandos were deployed while police moved to clear the road for Rajapaksa's convoy of six vehicles.
Officials said the premier returned to Colombo by helicopter.
Mahinda Rajapaksa's visit to Anuradhapura is part of a flurry of religious activity by the ruling family as it clings to power in the Buddhist-majority nation.
Sri Lankan media reported that the president's personal shaman, Gnana Akka, had charmed bottled water and delivered it to the protest site in the hope the movement would fizzle out.
Another report said the premier's wife Shiranthi had visited a Hindu temple seeking divine help for her family's bid to remain in power.
(With inputs from AFP)
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