Protesters in Lebanon’s city of Tripoli clashed with Lebanese security forces for the second night in a row over deteriorating living conditions exacerbated by a strict weeks-long Covid-19 lockdown.
A local TV channel on Tuesday carried live footage showing protesters throwing stones at the main government building, known as the Serail, and burning a vehicle close to it, prompting the Lebanese army to charge toward them and push them away from the building.
Lebanon, which is the throes of a financial meltdown, has seen a surge in Covid-19 cases and deaths in recent months. On Tuesday, the country recorded its highest Covid-19 death toll with 73 deaths in 24 hours, bringing the country’s total deaths to 2,477.
The tiny eastern Mediterranean country leads the Arab world in the number of Covid-19 cases per million people.
Tripoli is considered to be the poorest city on the Mediterranean coast, and has borne the brunt of Lebanon’s financial crisis.
Khaled Kassab, a 24-year-old protester who took part during Monday’s protest, told CNN, “The protesters are back on the streets in Tripoli in particular and in Lebanon in general because of the deteriorating economic situation and the inflation.”
