Anti-Government Protests in Lebanon Turn Violent

Hundreds of Lebanese citizens protested in Beirut, the capital of the country, on Thursday, October 8, which eventually led to clashes between security forces and demonstrators. At the same time, a national dialogue session in Lebanon, which was supposed to be attended by leaders of various political groups to end the ongoing political crisis, was postponed. Starting at 5 PM local time, protesters gathered in central Beirut to express their discontent over the dire economic and living conditions and what they call 'the rulers of corruption over the country's organizations.' Citizens and activists affiliated with labor unions and civil society groups such as 'We Want to Punish' and 'Your Stench Has Emerged' participated in the Beirut protests. Local media estimated the number of demonstrators to be 'hundreds.' As the protests began, army forces, internal security, and riot police were deployed in central Beirut to prevent demonstrators from reaching 'Martyrs' Square,' where the parliament building is located. However, as night fell, protesters managed to create a breach in the concrete barriers that security forces had placed at the entrances to the streets leading to the parliament since Wednesday. This prompted riot police to use water cannons and tear gas to disperse the protesters. According to local Lebanese media, including 'MTV,' 'Al-Jadeed,' and 'LBC,' citing hospital sources, at least 36 people injured by tear gas were taken to hospitals. Security sources also reported that six police officers were injured in the clashes. Local Lebanese media showed some protesters carrying their injured friends towards ambulances stationed on the streets near the conflict areas. The official Lebanese news agency reported that 'security forces were subjected to widespread stone-throwing, resulting in six riot police being injured.' According to this report, one of the protesters used a loudspeaker to ask security forces to 'stop firing tear gas and water cannons so that the protesters would also stop throwing stones.' The report added that several demonstrators were arrested and taken to security centers. Meanwhile, Nabih Berri, the Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, postponed the last session of the national dialogue that was supposed to explore ways to find a solution to the political crisis in the country, which has arisen due to deep divisions among the groups present in parliament and the government. This crisis has made it impossible to elect a president and high-ranking security officials for over a year. Protests in Lebanon began last week in response to the accumulation of garbage in the streets of Beirut and surrounding areas after the closure of landfills and the failure to reach an agreement on a replacement for it. However, the protesters' demands increased after clashes with security forces, leading to calls for the resignation of the ministers of environment and interior, followed by the resignation of the government and the holding of parliamentary elections. In the government of Tammam Salam, rival Lebanese parties, including the Future Movement led by Saad Hariri, Hezbollah, and some rival Christian groups are present. Lebanon is suffering from a severe economic crisis exacerbated by the spillover effects of the civil war in Syria, which has added political violence and a refugee crisis.