(Bloomberg) -- Sri Lanka’s state broadcaster Rupavahini went off air after being seized by protesters amid widening unrest that led President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee the bankrupt country early Wednesday. 

At about 1:02 p.m. in Colombo -- shortly after the protester-imposed deadline lapsed for Rajapaksa to submit his resignation -- Rupavahini telecast images of one of its anchors introducing two protesters, shortly after which the channel played the national anthem and went off air.

“We have not cast a stone at Rupavahini,” one of the protesters said. “We only ask that you join the people in our struggle rather than taking the side of the government in power. We thank the staff of Rupavahini for assisting us.”

Protesters captured the broadcaster after an announcement that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe -- who protesters also want to resign -- will be acting president after Rajapaksa fled. 

Some local media reports cite unnamed Rupavahini officials as saying engineers shut down the telecast after protesters stormed the building. The Information Ministry didn’t immediately answer phone calls for comment. 

Protests have been widespread in Colombo Wednesday, with tear gas fired and barricades being set up in parts of the capital. The country’s economy has been wrecked by a combination of mismanagement, a slump in tourism due to the pandemic, and a surge in import costs due to the war in Ukraine. 

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