Anti-government protesters took to the streets in multiple Lebanese urban centers on Thursday, setting up burning barricades and forcing road closures as the country’s currency fell rapidly.
Demonstrators hurled stones at military forces and some protesters attempted to scale a security fence outside the prime minister’s office in the capital city Beirut. Protesters chanted against the country’s political elite, which many hold responsible for the country’s economic woes.
Lebanon’s main coastal highway was closed by burning tires in the north and south of the capital, as protests were staged in areas that rarely see demonstrations, such as Hezbollah strongholds in the capital’s southern suburbs, according to CNN.
In the northern city of Tripoli, protesters pelted the army with rocks and threw Molotov cocktails at the city’s Central Bank office. Protests also erupted in the southern cities of Saida and Nabatieh.
In recent days, Lebanon’s currency has taken a nosedive, losing around 70% of its value since October. The currency’s collapse has stirred panic in a country that relies heavily on imports for its basic needs.
H/T Tert
