Anti-Government Protests Resume in Lebanon as Anger Mounts Following Beirut Blast

3 年前

Anti-government protests resumed in Beirut, Lebanon, on the night of August 6, with clashes between demonstrators and security forces reported as people’s anger mounted following the Beirut blast on August 4.

Officers fired tear gas during the demonstration, which took place near parliament, according to local media.

Earlier that day, French President Emmanuel Macron visited the city, pledging support and urging change in the country.

According to reports, demonstrators blame Tuesday’s blast on the governmental negligence of allowing 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate to be unsafely stored since 2013.

Lebanon declared a two-week state of emergency a day after the blast killed at least 154 people and injured more than 5,000, according to local media.

In the last part of the video, the uploader, who can be seen running with other protesters, says officers started deploying tear gas.

Anti-government protests began in October 2019 and escalated earlier this summer as the Lebanese pound collapsed, according to reports. Credit: Roy Boukhary via Storyful