In the wake of Saturday’s dramatic events, when tens of thousands of anti-government protesters stormed the state residences of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Temple Trees was among the political properties now defiantly occupied by ordinary Sri. Lanka. Rajapaksa and Wickremesinge promised to step down on Saturday night amid mounting political pressure. However, protesters said they would continue to occupy their homes and offices until both leaders officially step down. The president’s location remained unknown on Sunday and he did not formally address the public or release a resignation letter. Crowds toured the president’s official residence a day after the invasion. Photo: Eranga Jayawardena/AP By Sunday morning, Temple Trees had been transformed into a museum for the people of Sri Lanka and a community kitchen, serving free hot meals. In previously unimaginable scenes, vats of dal and curry simmered on logs set up in the manicured garden. People from all walks of life milled freely around the marble walkways, dining, lounging on the grass and taking advantage of the well-equipped gym for a workout. The official owner, Wickremesinghe, was nowhere to be seen, having been vacated from the property the previous day. His private residence had been burnt down on Saturday night after the frustration in the streets. Soldiers and a heavy police presence remained deployed around Colombo, and many were still reeling from violent clashes between security forces and protesters on Saturday night, in which dozens of people, including several journalists, were brutally beaten by the police and were hospitalized. Sri Lankan protesters jump into president’s swimming pool after palace raid in Colombo – video Scenes at Rajapaksa’s official residence, which was occupied by the public on Saturday, remained cheerful. People continued to enjoy the luxurious facilities, comfortable beds and well-equipped kitchen, although the outdoor pool, which had been filled with protesters on Saturday, had become cloudy and emptied of people. Kumara, a 33-year-old civil servant who was in the residence, told Reuters he did not move until Rajapaksa resigned. “I’m going to keep coming here and I’m going to keep sleeping here until he does,” he said. Conquerors within the Temple Trees. Photo: Eranga Jayawardena/AP Although some damage had been done to the property, efforts were made to keep the president’s home in good condition, with people sweeping the floors and watering the potted plants. Handwritten warnings were posted on the wall against any attempted looting. Bundles of cash reportedly worth LKR 15 million found at the president’s house were counted and then handed over to security personnel. We could see families taking curious tours around the luxurious house and gardens. BM Chandrawathi, a 61-year-old handkerchief seller, entered a bedroom on the first floor accompanied by her daughter and grandchildren. Sri Lankans take selfies inside the occupied presidential palace. Photo: Chamila Karunarathne/EPA “I have never seen such a place in my life,” Chandrawathi told Reuters as she lay on a plush sofa. “They enjoyed super luxury while we suffered. We were hoodwinked. I wanted my children and grandchildren to see the luxurious lifestyle they enjoyed.” In videos shared on social media, protesters are seen jokingly playing Rajapaksa’s campaign song, “The hero that works,” on the grand piano at his home and staging a mock International Monetary Fund (IMF) meeting in the long Meeting tables. at the president’s house. Preparations for feeding visitors and demonstrators at Temple Trees. Photo: Akila Jayawardana/NurPhoto/Rex/Shutterstock Menus seized from the property also provided an insight into the culinary luxuries the president enjoyed as two-thirds of Sri Lankans struggled to feed themselves due to the economic crisis. Lunch options recently enjoyed by the president included an appetizer of roasted pumpkin soup followed by dishes such as smoked salmon rosette, grilled lagoon shrimp, marinated chicken with demi-glace sauce, grilled eggplant parmesan and hummus with pita bread. Subscribe to First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7am. BST A celebratory party organized by protesters who had stormed the president’s administrative offices in Colombo continued since dawn. By Sunday morning, it was decided to open the secretariat building as a public library and its corridors began to fill with donated books.
