Stone throwing, fireworks, traffic signs and flower pots on the demonstrators' side; tear gas and water cannons from the riot police side. In Beirut, the Parliament Quarter dissipated in a cloud of gas on Saturday, January 18, in some of the most violent clashes since the start of the anti-corruption protest movement, which has lasted three months. At least 220 people were injured, according to the Lebanese Red Cross.
The violence began outside one of the main entrances to Parliament, when protesters attacked riot police stationed behind barricades and barbed wire. The demonstrators, some with masked faces, launched various projectiles, and some tried to cross the barbed wire. The police then violently replied, leaving many injured, eighty of whom were transported to hospitals in the city, according to the Lebanese Red Cross.
At least 75 persons were injured during clashes between the security forces and protesters in Beirut, reports the L… https://t.co/WXLTnblhCA
An "unacceptable level of violence"
The clashes continued in the early evening. Entrenched in the streets around the Parliament, the demonstrators continue to target the police. Unidentified people set fire to the tents erected by protesters since the movement began near Place des Martyrs, in downtown Beirut.
A demonstration was initially planned for Saturday near the Parliament, which was to converge on several marches leaving from different points in the capital. However, the situation deteriorated before the arrival of the protest groups. On both sides of the artery leading to the entrance to the Parliament, windows of advertising panels were broken, according to a photographer from Agence France-Presse, who reported cases of fainting among the crowd under the effect of tear gas.
NGOs Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch deplored "Arbitrary arrests" and one "Unacceptable level of violence" against demonstrators. In a press release on Twitter, the internal security forces (ISF) deplored acts 'Violent' calling them "Peaceful demonstrators to leave the premises urgently for their own safety".
"Popular anger is now the solution"
In recent days, protesters have targeted banks, accused of complicity with the government, attacking several branches in the Hamra district of the capital. Dozens of people were arrested Tuesday and Wednesday and released. The Lebanese Red Cross had already reported dozens injured during the two nights of violence.
The protest calls for since the beginning of the movement a government formed of technocrats and personalities independent of the traditional political seraglio. But negotiations have dragged on since the nomination on December 19 of a new prime minister, against a background of differences over the sharing of portfolios within the political parties that supported his nomination, which has fueled the anger of the street.
Faced with the impasse, the protest gained a boost this week after a period of exhaustion. Anger has been exacerbated by rapidly deteriorating living conditions and draconian restrictions on withdrawals by banks. "I am here because after 90 days on the street, they continue to fight for the shares (of the cake) in the government without worrying" of the people, lamented Maya, a 23-year-old protester. "Popular anger is now the solution", she hammered.
