Lebanon Weekend Protests... Police Fire Tear Gas and Water Cannons at Hundreds of Demonstrators

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy International Desk] Anti-government protests in Lebanon have intensified again, resulting in numerous injuries. Police fired tear gas and water cannons at hundreds of protesters, while flames erupted in various parts of the roads due to Molotov cocktails thrown by the demonstrators.

According to CNN on the 18th (local time), over 200 people were injured during clashes between protesters and riot police near the parliament in downtown Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, amid weekend protests.

The protest, held to oppose the delayed formation of the new cabinet, turned violent as some protesters attempted to enter the parliament building, leading to confrontations between police and demonstrators. When protesters threw stones and flowerpots at the police, the police responded with water cannons and tear gas, causing a large number of injuries.

Protesters set fires on roads, including around nearby banks. The protest site resembled a battlefield, with damaged traffic lights, broken branches, and scattered stones.

In Lebanon, anti-government protests that began last October in response to the government's imposition of taxes on online messenger programs such as WhatsApp have continued to this day.

As Lebanon faces its worst economic crisis in decades, citizens have expressed dissatisfaction with the government's mismanagement through protests. Although Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced his resignation last October, taking responsibility for the protests, and was replaced, the formation of a new cabinet has been delayed due to disagreements among political factions.

The protesters are demanding a cabinet composed of professional technocrats to resolve the economic crisis.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.