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Sri Lanka crisis: Couple share kiss while protesting at PM's office. Photo viral
The picture showed the couple kissing with sea of protestors surrounding them in what Newswire said was from the stir that occurred in Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's office on Wednesday.
Sri Lanka is in the throes of its worst economic crisis and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa - blamed by the nation for mishandling the nation's finances - quit Thursday night, after fleeing first to the Maldives and then Singapore. The country has been rocked by violent protests - tens of thousands have repeatedly stormed government buildings, including the residences of the president and prime minister - and supplies of food, fuel and essential goods are scarce if not exhausted. Amid this unrest, a picture tweeted by Newswire, the country's largest news aggregator has gone viral - a couple kissing amid a sea of agitators.
Newswire said the photo was taken amid protests outside Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's office on Wednesday. Hindustan Times cannot independently verify this.
"Couple goals! A couple was seen displaying affection after participating in anti-government protests that led to the taking over of the Prime Minister's office in Colombo," Newswire tweeted.
The protest - in which one person died and at least 80 were injured - were triggered by Lankans irked by Wickremesinghe taking over as the acting president after Rajapaksa fled, despite the prime minister also having promised to step down.
Also Read | Ranil wants military to use force, Sri Lankan Army says no to firing on protestors
Wickremesinghe is a six-time former PM who, it was hoped, could lead the country out of this crisis when he was re-appointed in May. However, protesters now say he is an ally of the influential Rajapaksa clan - blamed for this crisis - they demanded both resign.
Sri Lanka police said the man who lost his life was a 26-year-old protestor who died at a hospital after being injured near the premier's office.
As acting president, Wickremesinghe on Wednesday imposed a state of emergency and a curfew in the western province that was swiftly cancelled and the re-instated. He also called on the military and police to 'do what is necessary' to contain the protests
Sri Lanka speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said a new president will be elected July 20.
