As they took over president's house, Sri Lankan protesters savoured its luxuries

Soldiers and visitors in a bedroom of the presidential palace in Colombo, a day after it was stormed by protesters. PHOTO: EPA-EFE
People chatting in the garden of the prime minister's residence in Colombo a day after it was stormed by protesters. PHOTO: EPA-EFE

COLOMBO, SRI LANKA (NYTIMES) - They did flips into the pool. They lounged on canopied beds. And, on wide-screen televisions, they watched cricket and news footage of their fellow protesters, who had massed in Sri Lanka's capital and joined them in storming the presidential residence and secretariat.

After months of growing economic deprivation, of fuel and food shortages, and increasingly desperate protests, the scenes in Colombo offered rare moments of levity, as demonstrators who literally occupied the seats of executive power took a moment to appreciate the luxuries.

In the official residence of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled to an unknown location on Saturday (July 9), the protesters swam in the clear blue water of an outdoor pool, while others crowded around the edges.

Some found a gym, where they watched as one man did curls on a bench. Others rested on the grass of well-manicured gardens.

On Sunday (July 10), demonstrators continued to crowd onto stairways and snap selfies in the vast foyers of the residence, which served as the official home to British governors during the colonial era.

A few people cooked curries and snacks for the protesters, while others showered in the bathrooms or posed for photos at desks.

Carrying Sri Lankan flags while chanting denunciations of Mr Rajapaksa and his powerful family, they piled onto beds and sofas to celebrate the news that the president had been asked to step down and to ponder what might come next for their country.

Ms Deepa Ranawara, her husband and their two children were among those enjoying the festive atmosphere on Sunday.

Laughing, Ms Ranawara said she was unable to stand because her legs ached so much from walking 24km to join the protesters.

"Still, we are celebrating the event that happened here," she said. "People have suffered too much. Never in my wildest dreams did I think this could happen in Sri Lanka."

She and her husband took out a bank loan two years ago to open a corner store selling the basics: milk, sugar, rice, eggs. They thought the shop could supplement his income painting cars and help pay for their daughter's tutoring as she prepared for all-important final exams.

Now, months into Sri Lanka's worst economic crisis, the couple is struggling to repay the loan and restock the shelves. The dearth of fuel means that taking a rickshaw to the warehouse to pick up more supplies would wash out any profit.

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Police officers work out in a gym of the presidential palace in Colombo on July 10, a day after protesters stormed official residences. PHOTO: EPA-EFE

But customers are few and far between anyway, Ms Ranawara said.

Runaway inflation makes even a pack of biscuits out of reach for many. The couple and their two children, ages 24 and 18, hardly eat more than that themselves.

"We eat maybe two times a day now. We don't even think about fish or meat," Ms Ranawara said.

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