Sri Lanka: Colombo's Galle Face Green urban park closed today amid scheduled protests

Colombo [Sri Lanka], April 9 : Authorities on Saturday closed Galle Face Green Urban Park in Sri Lanka's Colombo, the venue where locals had planned to hold a massive protest.
The Daily Mirror reported that the Galle Face Green was closed for development proposes even as protestors were seen gathering outside the park early this morning.
A large number of Sri Lankans continued to hold street demonstrations and raise slogans to protest against the government in the midst of an economic crisis that has plunged the island nation into turmoil.
On Friday, demonstrators attempted to enter the main road towards the parliament during a protest chanting slogans against President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.
The country's main opposition party Samagi Jana Balwegaya (SJB) announced that it will move a no-confidence motion against President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's government if it fails to provide immediate relief to the people of the island nation adversely impacted by the economic crisis.
Earlier, opposition leader Sajith Premadasa had said that Sri Lanka must abolish the all-powerful Executive Presidency and strengthen Parliament without paving the way to a similarly dictatorial premiership while ensuring adequate checks and balances.
The island nation is also facing a foreign exchange shortage, which has, incidentally, affected its capacity to import food and fuel, leading to the power cuts in the country. The shortage of essential goods forced Sri Lanka to seek assistance from friendly countries.