Hundreds gathered near the government headquarters and the Capitol in central Beirut, where riot police were deployed.
Motorcycle protesters burned down during protests against economic deterioration in Beirut, Lebanon on October 18, 2019.
(Reuters)
Thousands demonstrated in Thursday in other parts of Beirut and Lebanon, closing the main road with tires and bins, angered by the government's plans to impose new taxes in the midst of a severe economic crisis.
Hundreds gathered near the government headquarters and the Capitol in central Beirut, where riot police were deployed.
Protesters say "revolution!" "Thieves!" The latter is a reference to corruption prevalent in the world's highest debt burden countries.
People protested and shouted slogans in protests against the worsening economic situation in Beirut, Lebanon on October 17, 2019.
(Reuters)
The years of regional turmoil, worsened by the influx of 1.5 million Syrian refugees since 2011, are catching up with small Arab countries. Lebanon has the world's third-largest debt level, currently reaching about $ 86 billion, or 150{7be40b84a6a43fc4fae13304fce9a2695859798abfc41afd127b9f8b21c5f9c5} of gross domestic product.
On the streets around Beirut, protesters set up tires and rubbish bins and blocked major intersections, causing heavy traffic.
Lucien Bourjeily said, “We reject what is happening in Lebanon. "If our government doesn't do the least, we have no choice but to take the streets."
"We're charging more and more taxes even if we can't pay them anymore," he said.
Protests against worsening economic situation in Beirut, Lebanon on October 17, 2019, light up the torch.
(Reuters)
Demonstrators kicked through the car as Minister of Education Akram Chehayeb padded downtown Beirut. One bodyguard jumped off the SUV and fired his automatic rifle into the air. Che hive jumped out of the car, pushed the guards and stopped the shooting again. No one was hurt in this case.
Protesters also closed the roads in other parts of Lebanon, including the northern cities Tripoli, South Tire, and northeast Baalbek.
The government is discussing the 2020 budget and new taxes have been proposed, including some social media communication software such as cigarettes, gasoline and WhatsApp.
Since the onset of the protests, Mohammed Cho Iker Le Communications Minister appeared on TV and said Prime Minister Saad Hariri asked him to cut the proposed tax on WhatsApp.
Motorcycle protesters protest in protest against economic deterioration in Beirut, Lebanon on October 17, 2019
(Reuters)
As the protests continued, the protesters briefly clashed with riot police outside the government headquarters, known as the Grand Serial of the Ottoman Empire.
One protester screamed. "We have no jobs, no money, no future."
International donors are demanding Lebanon to implement economic change to receive loans and subsidies at the CEDRE Economic Conference in Paris in April 2018.
International donors have pledged $ 11 billion to Lebanon, but have tried to make good use of it in corrupt countries.
Source: AP
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