Conflict Incident Report

BEIRUT/SIDON, Lebanon: Quarry owners in east and south Lebanon protested the closure of quarries and what they called "double standards" in the way authorities have been treating them.

Quarry owners blocked the Kfar Roummane roundabout in the southern district of Nabatieh with trucks and bulldozers, criticizing measures that have severely limited truck drivers' work hours, sometimes leading to the impoundment their trucks.

Security forces deployed at the scene to direct traffic to alternate routes.

Protesters and security forces engaged in a shouting match after the latter tried to confiscate a BMW X5 car, which belonged to one of the protesters.

Meanwhile, quarry owners held a similar protest in Mashghara in the Western Bekaa. The protesters argued that authorities should regulate the working hours of quarries in a way that ensures equality among all.