Conflict Incident Report

Riot police cleared You Stink campaign protesters Tuesday from the Environment Ministry in Downtown Beirut, hours after activists began a sit-in calling for the minister’s resignation over the protracted trash crisis.
Young men and women shouted “out, out, out,” as they gathered outside Environment Minister Mohammad Machnouk's office on the eighth floor of the Azarieh Building around 1 p.m.
At 5:45 p.m., Beirut's police chief Brig. Gen. Mohammad Ayyoubi asked all media to leave the building as riot police prepared to clear the floor where protesters continued their sit-in. After a large number of reporters refused to leave, police started cutting the live transmission cables used by the different camera crews. Media stations were still able to keep broadcasting by using Skype through their smartphones.
One hour later, police were seen carrying protesters out of the building, some of them with bruise marks and others handcuffed, witnesses said.
"They first shut turned off the electricity, then locked all the bathrooms. When riot police arrived and the media was kicked out, they started beating us with batons," activist Mohammad Mogharbel told The Daily Star.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2015/Sep-01/313556-you-sti...