Police raid protest camp in Sri Lanka

After a months-long political crisis triggered by the collapse of financial markets, security forces in Sri Lanka on Friday stormed a protest camp of government opponents outside the presidential office in Colombo.

Police said nine people were arrested and two injured in the raid. However, protest organizers, who insisted their intentions were peaceful, claim at least 50 people were injured, including several journalists.

The protesters accused authorities of using violence against them. "They really beat us cruelly," one activist told Reuters. "Mr. Wickremesinghe does not know what democracy is," he added.

Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in as president on Thursday after his predecessor fled the country and resigned.