Lebanon protest: Beirut in chaos as riot police block every exit after bank attacks
PROTESTERS in Lebanon have attempted to storm the Government buildings in the capital, as riot police try to disperse them with water cannons and tear gas, with dozens injured in clashes with officers.
Lebanon: Protestors clash with police in capital Beirut
Pictures from downtown Beirut show the streets engulfed in smoke, as police attempt to disperse the protests. Riot police had erected barbed wire barricades to prevent protesters from reaching Government buildings, but the activists are attempting to force their way through. Tear gas and water cannons are being used by the police to try and disperse them, as the protests turn increasingly violent as the "week of rage" continues.
Today marks the 94th day of protests in Lebanon, as people have become increasingly fed up with they are calling a “corrupt and inefficient” government.
Protests became increasingly violent this afternoon, as activists clashed with police in the streets.
The protesters were caught on camera throwing stones and other objects at police, after weeks of excessive force by security forces.
It comes after protests vandalised several banks in the city’s central Hamra neighbourhood overnight, after two nights of violent anti-government demonstrations.
Protesters attacked financial institutions, who they believe are to blame for the country's worst economic crisis in decades.
Nearly 300 banks and ATMs were targeted during demonstrations across the country, according to police.
Protests erupted in Beirut's commercial district, leading to some 352 arrests.
The country is one of the most indebted in the world, with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 152 percent.
In recent weeks the economic crisis has deepened as banks have imposed informal capital controls, which have placed restrictions on how much money customers can withdraw.
This, coupled with the value of the Lebanese pound continuing to dip, has prompted anger across the country.
The crisis has seen people’s salaries cut and the price of food and goods skyrocket. Many now fear their savings will be wiped out.