The Association of Banks in Lebanon called on Wednesday for holding to account those involved in trashing bank offices during recent riots in Beirut
BEIRUT (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th January, 2020) The Association of Banks in Lebanon called on Wednesday for holding to account those involved in trashing bank offices during recent riots in Beirut.
On Tuesday, protesters and police clashed near the Central Bank in Beirut. Demonstrators hurled stones at law enforcement officers, set fire to garbage cans and blocked nearby roads, while the police responded with tear gas. The rioters also damaged offices of several banks. According to the Interior Ministry, 47 police officers were injured during the unrest, while 59 protesters were detained.
"We urge the security forces to take necessary measures, identify and punish all those who organized, planned and facilitated the barbaric attack on the sector that serves people," the association said in a statement.
The association expressed confidence that the rioters had nothing to do with "real Lebanese revolutionaries."
"They are a group of hired puppets whose objectives are known," it added.
Acting Prime Minister Saad Hariri has similarly condemned the protesters' behavior as something beyond excusable, warning that such actions threaten to "ruin the whole country." Other politicians have joined him in decrying the violence.
Meanwhile, protesters gathered for another mass rally on Wednesday to accuse police of using excessive force and demand that those detained be released.
Protests flared across Lebanon in October amid a crippling economic crisis. People have been demanding urgent reforms to end the deepening liquidity crisis, which President Michel Aoun has blamed on sanctions. The economic and financial situation continues deteriorating, with entrepreneurs refusing to accept any payment by bank transfer.
Hariri's government resigned on October 29, but the demonstrations have not stopped. In mid-December, President Michel Aoun designated former Education Minister Hassan Diab as the next prime minister. However, a new government that satisfies all political parties has not yet been formed. On Tuesday, anti-government protesters reportedly gave Diab 48 hours to form a new cabinet.
