Lebanon's public prosecutor orders the release of more than 30 people detained the previous evening, according to the National State News agency, in the worst day of violence since protests erupted three months ago.
Riot policemen watch flames rise from the tents of anti-government protesters, which where set on fire by civilian men believed to be the private unit of the parliament guards, during ongoing protests against the political elites who have ruled the country for decades, in Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2020.
The clashes took place amid the backdrop of a rapidly worsening financial crisis and an ongoing impasse over the formation of a new government. The Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigned in late October.Riot police fired volleys of tear gas and rubber bullets on Saturday to disperse thousands of protesters rallied outside the parliament and in downtown Beirut.
Protesters smashed windows and the facade of the headquarters of the country’s Banking Association with metal bars. Security forces set fire to a few tents set up by protesters nearby. “There was no justification for the brutal use of force unleashed by Lebanon’s riot police against largely peaceful demonstrators in downtown Beirut,” said Michael Page, deputy Middle East director at HRW. “Riot police showed a blatant disregard for their human rights obligations, instead launching teargas canisters at protesters’ heads, firing rubber bullets in their eyes and attacking people at hospitals and a mosque.
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