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A protester waved the Lebanese flag against the army during a parade in Jal el-Dib on 23 October. REUTERS / Alkis Konstantinidis

In Lebanon, the protest movement continues throughout the country to denounce the corruption of the political class and this, despite the announcement by Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Monday, October 21, an economic rescue plan.

From our correspondent in Beirut , Paul Khalifeh

The violence mounted a notch Wednesday, October 23 when the army tried to open the roads blocked by the protesters . The army, which was content to watch the demonstrations from afar since October 17, was ordered on Wednesday to open the main roads cut by the demonstrators, completely paralyzing the country.

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The priority of the military was to clear the coastal highway, which connects the North to the South. Hundreds of soldiers tried to open the closed lane 6 kilometers north of Beirut, pushing protesters, mostly women and children. MP Sami Gemayel, leader of the Christian Party of Lebanese Phalanges, joined the protesters. After hours of fighting, the troop managed to clear one of the tracks only.

In Nahr al-Kalb, six kilometers to the north, the troops managed to repel the protesters but it was less successful in Zouk, a few kilometers away. In Nabatiyé, in the south of the country, the municipal police showed less flexibility. Violent clashes erupted between the police and the protesters and a dozen protesters were wounded. Despite this attempt to reopen the roads by force and the fall of heavy rains from the afternoon, the protesters did not leave the street.

Fight against corruption

One of the protesters' demands is the fight against corruption . On Wednesday, October 23, a judge launched a lawsuit against a former prime minister for illicit enrichment.

It is Nagib Mikati , one of the biggest fortunes of Lebanon. His son, his brother and the largest bank in Lebanon are also in the crosshairs of justice. Prosecutor Ghada Aoun, who has been working on the issue for a year, suspects Najib Mikati of obtaining housing loans subsidized by the central bank of Lebanon for tens of millions of dollars.

The former prime minister and the banking institution have denied the suspicions hanging over them.