Singing on streets as Sri Lanka’s leader agrees to step down

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has The announcements — which protesters celebrated by singing on the streets and setting off fireworks — marked a historic victory for the protesters, who have been demanding Rajapaksa’s resignation for months over his government’s failure to address the country’s Two of the journalists from the Sri Lankan TV channel Newsfirst had their cameras rolling at the time. Video aired by Newsfirst shows two journalists being pushed to the ground by police during the confrontation. Fellow journalists who rushed to their aid were then also attacked, Newsfirst reported.Inspector General of Sri Lanka Police CD Wickremaratne said the officers associated with the attacks were “suspended immediately,” according to an audio statement aired on national television. Wickremesinghe, the Prime Minister, also condemned the attacks. “Freedom of media is paramount to democracy in Sri Lanka,” he said, asking both security forces and protesters to “act with restraint to prevent any violence and ensure the safety of the public.”