Tens of thousands of protesters march to demand Sri Lankan government step down

The activists loyal to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa walked along several main roads in Colombo on Wednesday, shouting slogans and holding placards.

They later gathered near the president’s office and launched a sit-in on a main road.

Rajapaksa’s loyalists criticise the government for selling national assets to foreign countries, including the leasing of a seaport to China for 99 years.

The government was elected on a platform of good governance but its image was marred in 2015 by a central bank scandal that led to the resignation of a key minister.