Last night, Downtown Beirut turned into an arena for an intense confrontation between protesters and security forces trying to disperse them and preventing them from entering parliament.
In unprecedented clashes, protesters used tree trunks and street sign poles to attack security forces who, in turn, responded by using water hoses and tear gas bombs, leading to more than 100 injuries.
In the most violent confrontation the city has witnessed since the start of the protests on October 17, marches were launched from several points in Beirut under the slogan: “We will not pay the price”, in protest of the delays in the formation of the government.
The protesters attempted to break through the security fence and metallic barriers to reach the parliament but were prevented by the security forces which closed the entrance with metallic barriers. This compelled protesters to attack the anti-riot police human wall. They later threw rocks and flower vases at the security forces.
A number of protesters also uprooted young trees and street sign poles and used them to attack security forces.
Security forces responded by shooting water and teargas to disperse them. The Internal Security Forces tweeted that “the anti-riot police are being violently and directly attacked at one of the entrances to parliament. Consequently, we ask the peaceful protesters to steer clear of the riots for their own safety”.
The National News Agency mentioned that the confrontations had escalated, and some people were using fireworks and a Molotov bomb while protecting themselves with the glass front that they had removed from one of the shops as well as tree trunks.
With increasing tension, the confrontation moved to the Martyrs’ Square and extended to the Saifi area while the ISF spread and deployed close to Le Gray, forming a human wall to isolate protesters. This was followed by reinforcements by the Lebanese Army that also spread in the area.
The ISF stated that the rioters removed tiles from columns, broke them into smaller pieces, and threw them at the anti-riot police. It also mentioned that some anti-riot police members suffered several injuries, some were treated on the field while others were transferred to hospitals. The ISF denied claims that they had burned down the protesters’ tents in Martyrs’ Square.
After the Red Cross stated that five teams were tending to the injured and transferring them to nearby hospitals, they announced an initial report indicating that 40 cases were treated on the field while 30 others were transported to hospitals.
The unprecedented protest movement in Lebanon regained its momentum after entering its 4th month this week after protesters attacked banks and broke their fronts in protest of the severe restrictions on depositors amid the worst economic crisis Lebanon has ever faced.
The ISF responded by using excessive force, even against journalists, which was condemned by activists and human rights organizations.
