Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has declared a state of emergency for the second time in five weeks, giving security forces sweeping powers as a nationwide strike demanding his resignation brought the country to a standstill.
A spokesman for the president said he invoked the tough laws to "ensure public order" after shops closed and public transport was halted on Friday by unions blaming him for the unprecedented economic crisis, which ignited weeks of unrest.
Earlier on Friday, and water cannons to disperse students attempting to storm the national parliament demanding that Mr Rajapaksa resign.
The emergency gives sweeping powers to security forces to arrest and detain suspects for long periods without judicial supervision.
It also allows the deployment of troops to maintain law and order in addition to police.
Demonstrators try to douse a tear gas canister fired by police to disperse protesting university students in Sri Lanka on Friday. Source: Getty, AFP / Ishara S. Kodikara
He said the laws will go into effect from midnight Friday.
Beleaguered Mr Rajapaksa had declared an earlier state of emergency on 1 April, a day after thousands of protesters attempted to storm his private home in the capital of Colombo. That emergency was allowed to lapse on 14 April.
But protests have escalated since then. The new emergency declaration came as thousands of demonstrators remained outside Mr Rajapaksa's sea-front office, where they have been protesting since 9 April, and smaller groups tried to storm homes of other key government politicians.
The 85,000-strong police force had stepped up security for all ruling party legislators.
But they were stretched to the limit and had asked the security forces to reinforce them.
Anti-government protest strike shuts schools and businesses in Sri Lanka
Thousands of shops, schools and businesses closed on Friday as public and private sector workers in Sri Lanka went on strike, demanding the president and the government step down for their mishandling of the island's worst financial crisis in decades.
Hit hard by the pandemic, rising oil prices and tax cuts by Mr Rajapaksa's government, Sri Lanka has been left with as little as US$50 million ($70.49 million) in useable foreign reserves, the country's finance minister said this week.
Shortages of imported food, fuel and medicines have led to more than a month of sporadically violent anti-government protests.
Protesters take cover as security forces fire tear gas during an anti-government protest rally in Colombo. Source: AAP / EPA
The main train station in Colombo's commercial capital was closed on Friday morning and only public buses were operational at the terminal nearby.
Healthcare workers also joined the strike, though emergency services remained operational.
Hundreds of university students and other protesters remained camped outside the main road to parliament where they started a sit-in on Thursday.
Some hung their underwear on the barricades as an insult to the political leadership.
Messages like "Gotta go home" - a rallying cry from the protests - were scrawled on some of the underpants and vests.
"We are here because we are sick and tired of politicians lying to us. We want the president and this government to go home," said Purnima Muhandiram, a 42-year-old advertising professional.
Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa told parliament on Friday the opposition wants to move a no-confidence motion against the president and the government next week.
Mr Rajapaksa has refused to step down, instead repeatedly calling for a unity government led by him.
"We have called multiple times for the formation of a unity government or an interim government but it is the opposition that has refused to extend support," chief government whip and public security minister Prasanna Ranatunge told parliament.
