Tear gas fired at Lebanese protesting over pensions

STORY: Crowds gathered in the streets of downtown Beirut between parliament and the government serail, carrying Lebanon's tricolor or flags bearing the logos of security forces.

They were outraged at the deteriorating value of state pensions paid in the local currency. The pound has lost more than 98 percent of its value against the U.S. dollar since 2019.

“I served 22 years in the military institution, in the cold and in the heat, we sacrificed everything for this country. We sacrificed everything for this country. But we will not accept to be humiliated this way. We will take to the streets until we get our rights," said Walid Bekaai, a retiree from the Lebanese army.

Some of the men tried to cross one of the checkpoints leading to a government building, prompting security forces to fire tear gas to keep them back, according to a Reuters witness.

There was no immediate statement from the Lebanese army.