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More than 220 people were injured in violent clashes that took place on Wednesday, for the third consecutive night, in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli between security forces and protesters who came out to protest against health restrictions and the suffocating economic crisis. that crosses the country. The security forces released images showing “hand grenades” thrown at their items.
The official “National News Agency” said the clashes resulted in 226 injuries, 66 of whom were transferred to hospitals due to the severity of their injuries, and the rest were assisted on the ground by medical teams from the Lebanese Red Cross and the “Emergency and Relief Service”.
In a tweet on Twitter, the Internal Security Forces said that several of its members were attacked with “hand grenades, without sound or Molotov cocktails,” resulting in injuries to 9 members, including 3 officers, one of them seriously.
Images: An unexploded Russian-made RGD-5 military hand grenade, two bombs of the same type exploded after being thrown on the elements. #Security forces Those in charge of maintaining security and order, in addition to the damage to military vehicles and private cars belonging to the elements in the vicinity of the Serail #Tripoli pic.twitter.com/mxp1oxNWR7
Internal Security Forces (@LebISF) January 27, 2021
An AFP correspondent reported that clashes broke out in the afternoon when dozens of young people threw stones, Molotov cocktails and fireworks at the security forces, who used tear gas and water cannons to disperse them, in a scene that was repeated in the previous two. days.
Then a crowd of angry protesters attempted to storm the Saray building, the seat of the city’s governor, while others gathered in Al-Nour Square, one of the most prominent squares of the sit-in during the massive protests that Lebanon witnessed. in its extension. and wide against the ruling class in the fall of 2019.
Live bullets
At night, an AFP correspondent heard live gunfire from the unidentified source in the area of the rally site, as protesters set fire to the entrance of a police building.
“We have made the decision to continue our movements no matter the cost … because we have nothing to lose in the country,” said Muhammad, a 25-year-old masked protester who recently lost his job in auto repair. He added: “We live in the city in miserable conditions. I did not leave a door, I called her, but I did not find a job opportunity to ensure our daily livelihood.”
In turn, Mohamed Ezz El-Din (20), who works in a shop that sells detergents, said: “We are here to order food. People are hungry,” referring specifically to the popular and poor neighborhoods of Tripoli.
After several hours of clashes, the Internal Security Forces and the Lebanese army deployed reinforcements around the Serail building and in Al-Nour Square to disperse the protesters and prevent them from storming the governorate headquarters.
However, the protesters withdrew to nearby alleys, where they barricaded themselves and clashes continued late into the night.
The clashes were similar, but less intense, with 45 people injured on Tuesday, compared to 30 people injured in clashes that occurred on Monday, according to the Lebanese Red Cross.
And Tripoli, Lebanon’s second-largest city, was originally one of the poorest cities in the country even before the outbreak of the new Corona virus, and authorities were forced to impose blanket closure measures in an attempt to stop the spread of the pandemic. , in measures that led to the deterioration of living conditions in the country.
unemployment
A large portion of the city’s residents, especially day laborers, have found themselves without income since the general closure measures went into effect.
In addition to the almost catastrophic health situation, Lebanon plunged into the worst economic crisis since the end of the civil war (1975-1990), as its currency devalued to an unprecedented level, doubling inflation rates in the country and many companies were forced to carry out massive layoffs.
Half of Lebanon’s population now lives below the poverty line, while the ruling class is accused of indifference to its problems.
“Death by starvation or crown” … Tripoli protests spread to other Lebanese cities
Since Monday, protests have continued in several Lebanese regions against the extension of the general closure decision announced by the government until February 8, despite promises by the government to compensate the “two-day workers” and support to the poorest families with financial allowances.
And after the protest movement against the general closure measures was limited to just the city of Tripoli, the spark of the protests spread, on Tuesday and Wednesday, to other cities, where protesters blocked some roads.
In the capital Beirut, protesters set tires on fire in front of a wall separating the Riad El Solh square in the city center from the seat of parliament, while others blocked the Sports City road with garbage containers and tires. on fire, according to the National Information Agency. .
For about two weeks, Lebanon has witnessed a strict general lockdown, with a 24-hour curfew that is among the strictest in the world, but poverty, compounded by an increasingly severe economic crisis, leads to many to non-compliance. to preserve their livelihood.
Poverty
The rigor of the authorities in the application of the general closure, which runs until February 8, and the security forces daily file thousands of complaints of arrest against procedural violators, many, especially in poor neighborhoods and popular areas, from departures They even practice their work, especially in Tripoli, where more than half the population was found. They have lived for years at or below the poverty line, according to the United Nations. The rate is likely to have increased due to the impact of the economic collapse.
And local media reported Tuesday that a father who works as a taxi driver left his two-year-old daughter with an army officer overnight in Tripoli because he was unable to feed her. The Red Cross revealed his health before the father was arrested and the boy was later handed over to him.
Lebanon, which has a population of six million, has had record rates of infection and death since the beginning of the year, and most of the country’s hospitals have reached full capacity. The number of infections has risen since the start of the virus outbreak to more than 289,660, including 2,553 deaths.
Lebanon witnessed an unprecedented protest movement, in the fall of 2019, against the ruling class accused of corruption, incompetence and indifference. The intensity of the protest movement gradually diminished before fading completely with the Covid-19 outbreak and the successive general lockdown measures imposed by the authorities.
Lebanon has been without a government since August, as the ruling parties failed to reach an agreement, despite their exposure to strong local, regional and international pressure.
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