Soldiers armed with assault rifles crushed a crowd of protesters in the capital Colombo on Tuesday night, sparking public outrage amid growing anti-government protests in the country. At a rally outside parliament, a group of masked soldiers with assault rifles plowed through the crowd, including children, women and the elderly. When officers tried to stop them, a verbal brawl broke out between the armed soldiers and the police, prompting Army Chief Shaivendra Silva to order an investigation.