Collective Action
Protesters denouncing the newly formed government demonstrate in front of the Parliament and clash with security forces who went on to use repressive measures, material damages incurred, as well as a number of injuries from both parties
Carrying makeshift shields and armored with hard hats and gas masks, hundreds of protesters headed to Parliament Wednesday to reject Lebanon’s new Cabinet on its first day. Like the previous night and weekend, the demonstration began peacefully but developed into a violent game of cat-and-mouse between protesters and security forces.Twelve people were taken to hospitals and another 40 were treated on the scene according to the Lebanese Red Cross. Protesters were faced by intensified security measures at the entrance to Nijmeh Square, where the Parliament is located. After a group of protesters began hurling rocks, fireworks and Molotov cocktails in the direction of security forces, riot police responded by firing tear gas and water cannons to disperse them. Protesters faced off with security forces on the highway for more than an hour, launching fireworks and pointing colored lasers toward riot police, who stood in line a couple of hundred meters away and continued to fire rounds of tear gas.