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The Lebanese army deployed large forces – today Saturday – to separate two demonstrations: the first was organized by activists to denounce the deterioration of economic, living and political conditions, and to demand the disclosure of the circumstances of the explosion in the port of Beirut , and the other was organized by groups affiliated with the Free Patriotic Movement in front of the presidential palace in support of President Michel Aoun.
Hundreds of protesters opposing Aoun departed this afternoon from the Palace of Justice, east of Beirut, to the Baabda presidential palace, located in the eastern suburbs of the Lebanese capital.
The protesters carried Lebanese flags and chanted slogans denouncing the ruling political class and calling for Aoun’s resignation, which included: “Go away” and “Revolution”, in addition to the slogan of the October uprising, “Everyone means everyone.”
As the anti-Aoun protesters walked along the road leading to the Republican Palace, some 3 km from it, the army riot police blocked their way, in an attempt to impede their advance in anticipation of a clash with protesters pro- protesters in the vicinity of the Republican Palace, and the forces fired several shots into the air.
The protesters threw stones at the riot police, while the latter responded by beating them with sticks, resulting in injuries among the protesters.
The army said it tried to create a human barrier between the two demonstrations (Getty Images)Suspension from the army
In its first comment, the Lebanese army said in a tweet: “It is working to form a human barrier to separate two demonstrations in the vicinity of the Republican Palace.”
He added that he was forced to shoot into the air after protesters threw stones at his officers and beat them with sticks and tried to reach the Republican Palace.
On August 4, the Lebanese capital spent a bloody night due to a huge explosion in the port of Beirut, which left 192 dead, more than 6 thousand injured and dozens missing, as well as massive property damage and losses of about 15 billion. dollars, according to an unlimited official estimate.
The explosion aggravated the situation in a country that has suffered the worst economic crisis in its modern history for months, and a strong political polarization in a scenario in which the interests of regional and Western countries collide.
On August 31, President Aoun appointed Mustafa Adeeb to form a new government, which coincided with the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron, whom the Lebanese parties accuse of interfering in the internal affairs of his country.
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