Beirut protests turn violent for second day as PM threatens to quit

[Valin]

Reuters:

BEIRUT | By Laila Bassam and Tom Perry

Aug. 23 2015

 

Protests against the Lebanese government turned violent for a second day on Sunday, and Prime Minister Tammam Salam threatened to resign as public discontent brought thousands into the streets. Anger at the Salam-led unity cabinet grouping Lebanon's fractious politicians has come to a head over its failure to resolve a crisis over garbage disposal that reflects the wider failings of the weak state.

 

Salam's cabinet has been hamstrung by political and sectarian rivalries that have been exacerbated by wider crises in the Middle East, including the war in neighboring Syria. Salam, in a televised address, warned that Lebanon was headed towards collapse and that a bigger problem than the trash crisis was the country's "political garbage".

 

Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of Beirut this weekend as part of the "You Stink" campaign directed at the government. Water cannon and tear gas were fired at protesters, and demonstrators threw rocks and sticks at riot police as violence flared near Salam's offices in central Beirut. "The people want the downfall of the regime," chanted protesters.

 

Security forces fired into the air, and clouds of tear gas wafted through the streets as police tried to force protesters from the area.

 

(Snip)

 

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[Valin]

Lebanese cabinet split over Beirut rubbish solution

Aug 25 2015

 

Lebanon's cabinet has failed to reach an agreement on how to tackle the country's rubbish crisis, which has sparked violent protests in Beirut.

 

The "You Stink" campaign has been demanding the resignation of the government. Rubbish has been piling up on the streets of Beirut since Lebanon's largest landfill shut down last month.Six cabinet ministers walked out after new waste management contracts were rejected for being too expensive. The ministers were allied to the Islamist organisation Hezbollah, which has backed the demonstrations.

 

Dozens of protesters and police were injured in clashes over the weekend.

 

(Snip)

 

 

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