Sri Lanka’s government declared a state of emergency on Friday following a violent protest outside the president’s private residence, as public outrage mounts over his government’s handling of the country’s economic crisis. The president’s Media Division said that “a group of organized extremists” carrying “iron bars, knives, and sticks” marched toward Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s residence in Mirihana on Thursday. “Many of those involved in the protest have been arrested, and the majority of them have been confirmed to be organized extremists. They had led the protest shouting the slogans, ‘Let’s create an Arab Spring in this country,’” it said on Facebook. More than 50 people were arrested, according to police, prompting the government to impose an indefinite curfew in and around Colombo on Friday to quell sporadic protests that have broken out over shortages of essential items. Police reportedly fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse demonstrators …