Social media platforms blocked in Sri Lanka amid curfew, opposition protest

FILE PHOTO: Sri Lankan crime scene officer inspects the finger prints on the bus after it was set on fire by demonstrators at the top of the road to Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's residence during a protest against him, as many parts of the crisis-hit country face up to 13 hours without electricity due to a shortage of foreign currency to import fuel, in Colombo, Sri Lanka April 1, 2022. REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte

COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lankan soldiers with assault rifles and police manned checkpoints in Colombo on Sunday as the government blocked social media platforms after imposing a curfew to contain public unrest triggered by the country's economic crisis.

The latest restrictions come after the government on Saturday implemented a countrywide curfew as protests against the government's handling of the economic crisis turned violent. The curfew will run till 6 a.m. (0030 GMT) on Monday.