Lebanon is now on edge of chaos

(AP)

A Lebanese protester shot by police died on Tuesday amid violent clashes as people ignored curfews and took to the streets again in anger at the currency collapse and a surge in food prices.

Dozens of protesters attacked banks and set a military vehicle ablaze as street demonstrations in Tripoli became riots.

Six Lebanese army officers were hurt when troops confronted protesters with tear gas and rubber bullets, injuring quite 40 people.

Fawaz Al-Samman, 26, was rushed to hospital after being hit by a bullet during clashes, but died from his injuries.

Hundreds of people gathered at the victim’s funeral, ignoring the ban on large gatherings to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Al-Samman’s grieving father described his son as “one of these people that were hungry.”

Lebanon’s army command later expressed “deep regret for the martyr’s fall during protests on Monday” and said that it had launched an investigation into the incident.

The army accused “infiltrators” of inciting the violence, and said that nine people had been arrested for setting fire to banks and a military vehicle, and throwing a grenade at security forces.

Anti-government protests grew last week because the government began easing the lockdown aimed toward curbing the spread of the coronavirus.

After protests spread to Beirut on Tuesday, many activists paraded in Martyrs’ Square, chanting “Revolution, revolution,” blocking roads and hurling stones at army vehicles.

Protesters set fire to Bank Audi in Ras Al-Nabaa, destroying the facade.





The UN’s special coordinator in Lebanon, Jan Kubitsch, said that the “tragic events in Tripoli” were a alarm to the country’s political leaders.

“This isn't the proper time for settling scores or attacking banks,” he said. “Rather, it's the instant when concrete support must be provided to the growing majority of the desperate, poor and hungry Lebanese across the country.”

Prime Minister Hassan Diab told a cupboard session it had been “natural for people to require to the streets and express their anger again, especially after it had been found that there have been political attempts to stop the govt from opening an investigation into corruption.”

However, he said that the attacks revealed a “malicious intent to shake security stability.”

“That’s twiddling with fire. Tampering with stability is forbidden.”

Suleiman Frangieh, leader of the Marada Movement, said: “We are heading into an unsightly and harsh stage that needs patience, strength and faith.”

Hezbollah backtracked on Tuesday from holding financial institution governor Riad Salameh alone liable for the monetary policy that has brought the country to the brink of collapse. “Salameh is responsible, but he's not alone. the present crisis is that the results of the buildup of the many years of the policies of previous governments,” said Sheikh Naim Kassem, Hezbollah’s deputy leader.

Meanwhile, the national airline MEA resumed flights returning Lebanese from abroad. Six flights arrived on Tuesday from Cyprus, Dammam, Paris, Lagos and therefore the Congo Republic.

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