Pool parties and picnics galore: What's going on inside the Sri Lankan presidential palace?

“We won’t leave.”

That was the resounding message from protesters who had stormed Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s residence as well as Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s official house — Temple Trees.

The storming of the official houses by protesters was the culmination of months of protests by people enraged by the South Asian island nation’s unprecedented economic crisis and the Rajapaksa clan’s incompetence and corruption.

Also read: Explained: What led to the fall of Sri Lanka’s powerful Rajapaksa clan?

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had fled just moments earlier, assisted by troops who fired into the air to clear his escape. Later, 73-year-old Rajapaksa told the speaker of Parliament he would step down on Wednesday.

Ranil Wickremesinghe also announced his resignation on Saturday as protesters stormed his palatial colonial-era home.

To ensure the continuation of the Government including the safety of all citizens I accept the best recommendation of the Party Leaders today, to make way for an All-Party Government.

To facilitate this I will resign as Prime Minister.

— Ranil Wickremesinghe (@RW_UNP) July 9, 2022

Despite the calls of resignations, the protesters continue to occupy the Sri Lankan presidential and prime ministerial residences.

“Our struggle is not over,” student protest leader Lahiru Weerasekara said, quoted by AFP. “We won’t give up this struggle until [President Rajapaksa] actually leaves,” he said.

As the protesters sit tight, here’s what all has been happening inside the residences of the leaders and what has been found.

Chilling at presidential palace

After storming the presidential palace on Saturday, throngs of Sri Lankans made their way to the sprawling residence and were left awe-struck by the opulence.

The crowds took selfies inside the palace, in front of teakwood desks and paintings, and in living room areas.

An AFP news report mentioned that children were seen banging on a grand piano inside the premises.

The swimming pool attracted a lot of attention from the visitors with families standing around, admiring the pool filled with brown water. Onlookers clapped and shouted when a young man jumped into the water where protesters had been filmed swimming on Saturday.

Current situation of Sri Lanka President's swimming pool pic.twitter.com/ieKF8YVGGL

— NewsWire