More than 80 people were injured in clashes in Beirut on the day of mourning on the anniversary of the devastating explosion in the port of the Lebanese capital, reports TASS.
Lebanese Red Cross spokesman George Ketanov told reporters that clashes between protesters and police took place in front of the parliament building yesterday. 84 people were injured during the riots (some of them were affected by the use of tear gas).
According to Ketanov, thirteen wounded were taken to hospital, others were treated on the spot.
The police were also compelled to use water reservoirs against protesters that were thrown into the police and a bottle of inflammatory fluid. The collision lasted about three hours. The gendarmerie and the military joined forces to end the riots. By midnight, there were no more aggressive protesters in the city center.
According to security officials, the protesters tried to storm the parliament. Activists also raided offices in central Beirut and set fire to some of them.
The families of the victims of the explosion on August 4, 2020, issued a 30-hour ultimatum to the government to lift the immunity of all those responsible for what happened. Announcing the ultimatum, Ibrahim Hoteit, a spokesman for the victims’ families, warned that his group’s approach would soon cease to be “peaceful”.
A devastating explosion in the port of the Lebanese capital has killed more than 200 people and injured about 6,000.