Supporters of Lebanese Shi'ite groups pull-down protesters' tents

Supporters of Lebanese Shi'ite groups Hezbollah and Amal reportedly pulled down protesters' tents and led police to step in on the main road in Beirut on Tuesday. The men fought the protesters by chanting in support of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, the head of the Shi’ite Amal Movement. The move followed Lebanese protesters setting up a living room with an area rug, a couch, and a refrigerator on Monday in Beirut. Others held morning yoga class and a band with an accordion player sang one of the newest slogans of Lebanon’s anti-government protests. 

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Protesters block roads in several parts of Beirut

Demonstrators sat or lay on the streets to observe civil disobedience which forced security forces to drag them away by their arms and legs. Many also blocked routes with overturned dumpsters and burned tires. There were others who set fires to block the airport road in Beirut on Monday before Lebanese troops in armored personnel carriers arrived to clear the route. The security removed protesters from a highway linking the southern city of Sidon with the capital city Beirut. No weapons were used in the process and there were no reports of serious injuries.

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The reason behind the protests

The protesters are furious at a sectarian ruling elite, who they accuse of plundering state resources for personal gains. The demonstrations were initially sparked by a government plan to tax WhatsApp calls and now have swept Lebanon at a time of deep economic crisis. The army has failed to persuade the protesters to get off the roads. People joined hands along coastal roads on Sunday, aiming to span 171 kilometers from the south to the north in an attempt to protest silently. 

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The millers' association in Lebanon reportedly said that the wheat stocks could last just for 20 days due to problems in making foreign currency payments over the last two months due to financial strains. Lebanese banks that have remained closed as the bankers fear the customers will try to take out their savings when they reopen amidst the crisis. Schools and many businesses have also shut their doors. The country is struggling with one of the world's heaviest public debt burdens at 150% of GDP, which has forced it to declare an economic emergency.

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