After the protest in front of the President's house, the government of Sri Lanka called the protesters "terrorist" and blamed "extremist group" for instigating the riot.[59][60] In the wake of the nationwide protest, the Rajapaksa government declared a 36-hour state of emergency that will last from 2 April 2022 until 4 April 2022 morning. The president's proclamation said the imposition of the state of emergency was in the interest of “public security, the protection of public order and the maintenance of supplies and services essential to the life of the community”.[61] Dozens of Sri Lankan police has been deployed to the main square[where?] in Colombo in order to prevent protesters from gathering.