Heavy gunfire erupted in central Beirut on Sunday after protesters tried to storm the offices of Prime Minister Najib Mikati, demanding that he quit over the assassination of a top intelligence official.
Reuters reported an official saying that security forces had fired in the air.
Witnesses said at least two protesters had fainted, apparently as a result of tear gas fired by security forces after protesters breached an outer barrier around the prime minister’s offices.
Hundreds of protesters, waving flags from the anti-Syrian opposition Future Movement – a mainly Sunni Muslim party – and Christian Lebanese Forces as well as black Islamist flags, marched on Mikati’s offices after the funeral of Wissam al-Hassan.
They accused Syria of being behind Hassan’s killing and called for Mikati to resign.
The chaotic scene in Lebanon’s capital on Sunday comes in the midst of a funeral for a top intelligence official who was killed in a massive car bombing that many blame on the regime in neighboring Syria.
via Angry protesters storm Lebanon government HQ demanding PM to quit.
Discussion
Comments are closed.