Lebanon: Tripoli again in the grip of violent clashes
Soldiers deploy in the city of Tripoli on January 31, 2021. AFP - FATHI AL-MASRI
Text by: RFI Follow
2 min
The city of Tripoli was the scene of violent clashes in the night from Sunday to Monday despite the reinforced security measures taken by the army and the police after a week of clashes which left one dead, 400 injured and important damage to public buildings
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With our correspondent in Beirut,
Paul Khalifeh
The same scenes, in the same place.
Groups of young people with masked faces clashed with the police around the seraglio of Tripoli which houses the public administrations, not far from the seat of the municipality, which was burnt down on Thursday evening.
Soldiers stationed on the rooftops sprayed the protesters with tear gas and rubber bullets.
Protesters set dumpsters on fire and set off fireworks and threw stones.
These clashes erupted despite the squaring of the city by the army, which established checkpoints and carried out body searches.
Hours earlier, the army announced the arrest of 17 people accused of vandalism and destruction of public and private property.
During the day, hundreds of demonstrators from all Lebanese regions gathered without incident in a square in Tripoli to express their solidarity with the protesters in the country's second city.
They are calling for an easing of the confinement decided to fight against the Covid-19 epidemic which is worsening economic conditions.
► To read also: “Sad to see his city burn”: in Lebanon, Tripoli shaken by daily demonstrations
The incidents that have shaken Tripoli for a week have divided the Lebanese.
The violence of certain groups of demonstrators, who threw grenades at the police, caused a stir, even if the demands of the protesters are considered legitimate by part of the public opinion.
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Lebanon
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