Riot police fire tear gas as protests continue

Lebanese riot police fired tear gas at protesters on Friday night in downtown Beirut as demonstrations turned violent. Protesters were seen smashing windows, setting fire to shops and pelting security with rocks. tension, although a fraction of night before, gripped Beirut and security forces tried to contain rowdy crowd, at times having to use tear gas.

Some protesters threw stones at police officers in an expression of anger at ir perceived role in deepening ir ecomic malaise. Leban's prime minister held an emergency cabinet meeting on Friday, hours after demonstrators shut roads across country with burning tires in renewed nationwide protests spurred by a plunging national currency and ecomic crisis. Leban's political and financial elite throughout Friday made addresses promising to stabilise Lebanese pound, but ir statements fell on deaf ears with a population exhausted by empty pledges.