90th day of dispute in Lebanon. In Beirut, Tripoli and Hasbaya, anti-government demonstrators took to the streets on Tuesday, January 14, under the slogan "the week of anger". They have been demanding since October 17 the departure of the ruling class accused of corruption and incompetence and call for the immediate formation of a government of technocrats independent of the ruling parties.
Lebanon has been without a government since the resignation at the end of October of Prime Minister Saad Hariri, while a new cabinet has struggled to emerge since the appointment, on December 19, of new Prime Minister Hassan Diab. The economic and financial situation, meanwhile, remains precarious and has been steadily deteriorating in recent weeks.
Road axes cut
In Tripoli, Jdeideh or Habsaya, students organized sit-ins. Several roads were also cut using dumpsters and burnt tires, according to local chains. Columns of smoke from burnt tires were visible on several highways in the country.
"We have started to close roads again because we can't take it anymore," said Laila Youssef, a 47-year-old protester in Jdeideh, in the northern suburbs of Beirut. "What we earn today is not even enough to buy basic commodities," said the mother of three.
In recent weeks, banks have imposed caps on withdrawals, provoking the ire of depositors and quarrels, sometimes muscular, in some establishments. In addition, a devaluation of around 40% of the national currency on the parallel market caused a jump in prices.
The World Bank warned in November that half of the population could fall into poverty. The country is collapsing under a debt of around 90 billion dollars, or more than 150% of the GDP.
With AFP
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