Hezbollah supporters attack Lebanon protesters, burn tents

Hundreds of Lebanese supporters of the Hezbollah terror group, some wielding sticks, have attacked a protest camp set up by anti-government demonstrators in central Beirut, burning some of its tents and dismantling others.

The violence came shortly after dozens of other Hezbollah supporters, also wielding sticks, attacked a roadblock set up by the protesters on a main thoroughfare in the capital.

The riot police and military first moved in trying to separate the rival groups, but the security forces failed to stop the storming of Martyrs square, where anti-government protesters have held their ground since October 17.

The protesters are calling on the government to step down, holding rallies in public squares and promoting a civil disobedience campaign that include blocking main roads. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has grown critical of the protests, claiming they have been backed and financed by foreign powers and rival political groups.

At the Beirut roadblock, the angry crowd swelled by early afternoon, some using sticks to chase protesters away. Some of the men also attacked journalists, kicking them and attempting to smash their cameras.

Many among the angry mob chanted: “God, Nasrallah, and the whole Dahiyeh,” in reference to the southern suburb that is a stronghold of the Iranian-backed militant group. Others told TV crews that they were upset at the roadblocks and insults to their leader.

Then they marched to the central square, tearing down tents, smashing plastic chairs and using metal poles to poke holes in the tents, which they later burned. They also beat some anti-government protesters. One TV presenter described it as “a war scene.”

Hezbollah supporters have attacked protesters and destroyed tents in Martyr's Square, Beirut.

????: @MarwanTibi #لبنان_يتنفض #حزب_الله pic.twitter.com/ncuaXUFM6X

— Beirut Today (@bey_today) October 29, 2019

— AP