BEIRUT (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st December, 2019) Demonstrators who earlier blocked one of Beirut streets have hurled stones at troops that arrived at the scene to remove barricades, the Lebanese armed forces said on Friday, adding that seven officers had been injured.
Protests in Lebanon resumed on Thursday after former education Minister Hassan Diab was appointed as prime minister-designate. In Tripoli, Beirut, Sidon and other cities, activists started blocking roads and setting fire to tires and garbage cans.
"In the Corniche El Mazraa area, seven officers were injured after protesters threw stones at them. Some of them [demonstrators] tried to dump a truck loaded with rubble and sand in the middle of the road to completely block traffic. The military is still taking measures to stabilize the situation," the army said in a statement.
South to Beirut, in Naim district, activists blocked the main highway linking the capital with Tyre and southern Lebanon. The road is especially busy on Friday as people head to the countryside for the weekend. The protest action completely paralyzed the traffic, creating hours-long traffic jams.
"During an army patrol's efforts to unblock the road in Naim and restore traffic, a group of activists hurled stones at the military. Under these circumstances, the military was forced to fire shots in the air and use tear gas. The road has been partly unblocked," the army stated.
The protests in Lebanon started on October 17 following the government's intent to introduce a tax on internet calls made via the WhatsApp messenger. Even though the controversial measure was scrapped and the government of Saad Hariri resigned, people have remained in the streets to demand economic reforms.
Now, some demonstrators also protest against the new prime minister-designate, viewing his appointment as a result of internal agreements between the political forces they are opposing.
