Thousands of demonstrators are protesting in the Lebanese capital streets.
Thousands of demonstrators in Lebanon are protesting this Saturday in the streets of Beirut, which was partially devastated by an explosion. In the crowd, anger was expressed against the political class deemed responsible for the tragedy that left more than 150 people dead and 6,000 injured.
Demonstrators led by retired officers stormed the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beirut on Saturday evening, proclaiming it “headquarters of the Revolution”. The move, which was broadcast live on television, came as the security forces focused their attention on the gathering of thousands of protesters in the city centre.
Shouting into a megaphone, ex-general Sami Rammah called for an uprising and the pursuit of “all the corrupt” as demonstrators picked up and trampled on President Michel Aoun’s portrait.
“Revolutionary Headquarters”
In the vicinity of Martyrs Square, the traditional epicenter of the protests in the capital, clashes occurred between security forces, who fired tear gas, and young protesters returning fire with stones
For the Lebanese people, already suffering from an unprecedented economic crisis, Tuesday’s explosion, which killed more than 150 people and devastated part of the city, was one disaster too many, reviving a protest movement that had started in October to denounce the entire ruling class, which was considered corrupt and incompetent, but had run out of steam due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
With the security forces’ attention focused on the clashes, about 200 demonstrators led by retired officers took the opportunity to storm the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, proclaiming it “the headquarters of the Revolution”, according to images broadcast live by television stations.
More than a hundred injured
“Revenge, revenge, until the fall of the regime,” chanted the demonstrators, some wearing masks, others carrying flags, as the security forces tried to prevent certain groups from advancing towards Parliament.
In Martyrs Square, the traditional epicentre of the protests, towards which the protesters converged under the slogan “Judgement Day”, wooden guillotines were set up while protesters waved ropes with a noose at their ends. The #Pendez-les hashtag has been circulating for several days on social networks.
According to a tweet from the Lebanese Red Cross, more than a hundred people were injured during the demonstration, 32 of whom were taken to hospitals and 110 treated on the spot.
Source: BFMTV
