Thousands of people rallied on Saturday, August 22nd in Beirut protesting corruption. Demonstrators also protested the dire services and massive pileups of trash in various cities. Lebanese security forces resorted to tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd. There were reported sounds of gun fire and 35 people were injured in the clashes between protesters and security forces.
In downtown Beirut security forces prevented the protesters from nearing the Parliament and other government buildings.
A month ago the trash pileup crisis in Beirut led to hundreds of protesters pouring into the streets in the Lebanese capital. Saturday’s protests were the most widespread of such rallies in the past month. Obstructions and stonewalling by Hezbollah and its allies in Lebanon are preventing the election of this country’s president and resolving the political crisis that has engulfed the entire nation.