In the streets of Colombo: “Sri Lanka is becoming truly independent”

“Today Sri Lanka is becoming truly independent,” exults Imthias Ibrahim, 48, standing in the entrance to the former Sri Lankan parliament. Seven decades after the independence of the island nation from the British Empire, Sri Lanka digests the demonstrations of this historic Saturday, July 9, 2022. Sunday is the first day of the rebirth of a political scene plagued by the Rajapaksa clan, in power since 2005. On Saturday, 100,000 excited demonstrators broke through the barricades held by 20,000 Sri Lankan police and soldiers under a rain of tear gas and bursts of water cannon and invade the old parliament and the presidential palace. Salvoes of live ammunition fired into the sky of the economic capital of the country tear the sky without weakening the determination of the demonstrators.