A protester has been killed during
anti-corruption demonstrations in Beirut, the first fatality since mass
demonstrations began in the Lebanese capital on Saturday, the Red Cross
has said.
The death comes as scores of people were injured in clashes between anti-government protesters and Lebanese police officers.
Ambulances ferried out casualties after
security forces fired tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons at
demonstrators protesting against what they call Lebanon’s “political
dysfunction”.
About 200 youths, some wearing scarves or
masks to cover their faces, threw stones and bottles filled with sand
at police and tried to pull down security barricades, the AFP news
agency reported.
Some of those injured had suffered smoke inhalation, and at least 40 were hospitalised according to the Lebanese Red Cross.
On Saturday, at least 16 were injured
during clashes with police, according to a Red Cross official, while the
Internal Security Forces said more than 35 of its members were also
hurt
Al Jazeera’s Jamal Elshayyal, reporting
from Beirut, said the protests drew people from across the political
spectrum, and the grievances expressed extended beyond the original
anger at the government’s failure to remove rubbish.
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