BEIRUT (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th July, 2020) Lebanese security forces have cleared the protest outside the US embassy using tear gas and water cannons, a Sputnik correspondent reported from the scene.
Dozens of demonstrators gathered outside the US mission's compound in Awkar area north of Beirut to protest against the Caesar Law sanctions and US interference in internal Lebanese affairs. Most participants represented pro-Iranian axis parties such as Hezbollah, the Communist Party and the Syrian Social Nationalist Party.
The Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act targets individuals or companies that cooperate financially with Syrian President Bashar Assad's government and directly impacts neighboring countries, including Lebanon. In late June, Prime Minister Hassan Diab demanded that Lebanon be excluded from the sanctions policy against Syria.
In a separate development, US Ambassador Dorothy Shea has triggered a backlash after she accused Hezbollah of blocking an economic recovery in Lebanon and siphoning billions of Dollars from the government. Pro-Hezbollah politicians denounced her comments as an open interference in internal affairs meant to destabilize the situation in the country.
Washington has long been demanding that Hezbollah disarm, but the Shiite movement insists that its military potential is needed to defend Lebanon in case of Israel's aggression.
