Beirut rubbish protesters clash with police

Downtown Beirut was turned into a battleground on Saturday evening as a demonstration over an ongoing garbage crisis in the city was met by rubber bullets, water cannons and tear gas.

Salam earlier Sunday called on civil society organizations and activists to form a delegation to meet with him to discuss the crises gripping the country. Protesters fought running battles with police, building barricades and retreating from volleys of tear gas.

At first, the protest began peacefully, with thousands angered over Lebanon’s political deadlock protesting.

The protests started over garbage piling up on the streets after the capital’s main landfill was closed a month ago.

At least one of the injured was in critical condition, a spokesman for the Lebanese Red Cross said.

Lebanon is in the midst of a political crisis as it does not have a president and parliament has just perpetuated itself after being unable to agree to new elections.

Activists from the “You Stink” protest movement pitched tents in central Beirut, vowing not to leave before the departure of what they called the “corrupt” government.

On Sunday, several masked protesters provocatively attempted to remove barbed wire separating demonstrators from security forces following Salam’s speech at the Grand Serail.

In a press conference, Lebanese Prime Minister Tammam Salam said he stood “with the people and with the citizens”.

Protests over corruption and political dysfunction are rattling Lebanon, threatening more instability in a country already hobbled by a huge influx of Syrian refugees and attacks by Islamist militants.

They beat demonstrators and arrested four more protesters.

Police used water cannon and fired teargas to disperse protesters who threw stones and fireworks at security forces stationed near the government headquarters. As of writing, protestors are still trying to hold their ground in downtown Beirut as Lebanese security forces and military forces continue to brutalize them.

At the same time Mr Salam has warned that the lack of a parliament may preclude the government from selling bonds, affecting the country’s credit rating.

He noted that the mission of the government is to “reinforce security and stability and manage the affairs of the state until the problem of the presidential vacancy, which has been going on for over a year, is resolved”.

“They’re living large while we’re paying the price”, Mr Bouchebel said of politicians and their beneficiaries.

“The garbage crisis is what broke the camel’s back, but the story is much bigger than this”, Mr Salam was quoted by Bloomberg as saying.