Police have imposed a curfew in Sri Lanka's capital and surrounding areas after firing tear gas and using a water cannon on student demonstrators amid public discontent over the country's worst economic crisis in seven decades.
The island nation has been crippled by a shortage of foreign exchange that has left it struggling to pay for essential imports of fuel, food and medicine.
Its 22 million people have been bearing the brunt of record inflation, currency depreciation and rolling power cuts for months.
The students began their protest march from a university in the outskirts of the city and marched towards President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's official residence in the heart of the business district, which had been barricaded by the police.
Demonstrators planned to spend the night next to the police barricades until the second wave of protesters join them on Saturday morning.
The protesters said they would lay siege on the President's residence.
Police responded with tear gas and water cannons to push back the demonstrators.
Many demonstrators called for the resignation of Mr Rajapaksa, who they blame for the country's economic crisis — its worst since its independence in 1948.
They also blame Ranil Wickremesinghe, who became Prime Minister two months ago, for not delivering on promises to end the shortages.
Police said the curfew, beginning at 9pm on Friday, would last until further notice in Colombo and its suburbs.
The curfew drew criticism from government opponents and the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, which said the curfew was "blatantly illegal and a violation of fundamental rights".
The bar association statement asked police to immediately withdraw what the association called an "illegal order" imposing the curfew.
Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa called the curfew "a fraud".
Sri Lanka's 'collapsed' economy
Sri Lanka is nearly bankrupt and has suspended repayments of $US7 billion ($10.2 billion) in foreign debt due this year.
It must pay back more than $US5 billion annually until 2026. Its foreign reserves are nearly wiped out and it is unable to import food, fuel, cooking gas and medicine.
A lack of fuel to run power stations has resulted in extended daily power cuts.
People must stand in lines for hours to buy fuel and gas. The country has survived mostly on credit lines extended by neighbouring India to buy fuel and other essentials.
Because of the economic crisis, inflation has spiked and prices of essentials have soared, dealing a severe blow to poor and vulnerable groups.
Due to the fuel and power shortages, schools have been shut for weeks and the government has asked state employees other than those in essential services to work from home.
The country is negotiating with the International Monetary Fund on a bailout package, but Mr Wickremesinghe said this week the negotiations were difficult because Sri Lanka was effectively bankrupt.
He earlier said the country's economy had "collapsed".
Months of anti-government protests
The economic crisis has triggered political upheaval, with widespread anti-government protests.
Protesters have blocked main roads to demand fuel, and people in some areas have fought over limited stocks.
Many people are accusing the President and his powerful family, which includes several siblings who until recently held cabinet positions, of precipitating the crisis through corruption and misrule.
Months of protests have nearly dismantled the Rajapaksa political dynasty that has ruled Sri Lanka for most of the past two decades.
One of Mr Rajapaksa's brothers resigned as prime minister last month, and two other brothers and a nephew quit their cabinet posts earlier.
Mr Rajapaksa has admitted he did not take steps to head off the economic collapse early enough, but has refused to leave office.
It is nearly impossible to oust presidents under the constitution unless they resign on their own.
ABC/wires
