Clashes escalate after protester's death in Lebanon
January 28, 2021
Lebanese security forces used tear gas to repel rock-throwing youths in the northern city of Tripoli on Thursday amid outrage over the death of a 30-year-old protester.
Demonstrations in Tripoli have entered the fourth day and the unrest is showing no signs of abating. More than 220 people, including 26 police officers, have been injured in the confrontations so far, the National News Agency said.
Angry crowds gathered outside the residences of some of Lebanon's top politicians, torching rubbish and vehicles, as well as smashing surveillance cameras. They were expressing their anger over corruption, poverty and the government's handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
As Lebanon's most impoverished city, Tripoli has been a hub for protests and rioting against the country's political class.
Escalation of violence
The demonstrations resumed Thursday, shortly after the burial of Omar Taibi, who was shot by security forces on Wednesday night.
On January 21, the Lebanese government extended a nationwide lockdown and round-the-clock curfew until February 8, amid a dramatic surge in cases of COVID-19.
This week's violence marks a serious escalation in the protests denouncing the lockdown that exacerbated already dire living conditions amid an unprecedented economic and financial crisis.
Dozens of young men have been taking part in the nightly demonstrations. On Wednesday, protesters repeatedly tried to break into the municipal building. Some lobbed hand grenades at security forces, who responded with water cannons, tear gas and, eventually, live ammunition.
Worst ever financial crisis
The coronavirus measures come on top of a crippling economic crisis that preceded the pandemic in the country of nearly 7 million people.
According to figures from the United Nations, Lebanon hosts the largest number of refugees per capita in the world, with around 1.5 million seeking refuge in the country.
jsi/sms (AP, AFP)