Lebanon protesters urge government to resign amid deepening economic crisis

BEIRUT — Lebanese protesters take to the streets in Beirut and other cities in mostly peaceful protests against the government, calling for its resignation as the small country sinks deeper into economic distress.

The protests come after two days of rallies spurred by a dramatic collapse of the local currency against the dollar. Those rallies degenerated into violence, including attacks on private banks and shops.

The local currency, pegged to the dollar for nearly 30 years, has been on a downward trajectory for weeks, losing over 60% of its value. But the dramatic collapse this week deepened public despair over the already-troubled economy. Lebanon is heavily dependent on imports, and the dollar and local currency have been used interchangeably for years.

The unrivaled economic and financial crises are proving a major challenge to the government of Prime Minister Hassan Diab, who took office earlier this year after his predecessor resigned amid nationwide protests. Diab was faced with handling the coronavirus pandemic soon after taking office. Lebanon’s financial problems predate the coronavirus pandemic, which put the country in lockdown for months, further compounding the crisis.

For the protesters, many of them members of organized political parties, Diab’s government has failed to handle the crisis.

Protesters in Beirut carry a banner that reads “There is an alternative.”

In the southern city of Sidon, some direct their wrath at the central bank governor. One protester raises a banner called him the “protector of all thieves in Lebanon.”

In the northern city of Tripoli, army troops forcefully disperse dozens of protesters who had blocked the road preventing trucks from moving forward, according to videos posted online. The protesters allege the trucks were smuggling goods to Syria — a common complaint in Lebanon as the neighboring country grapples with its own economic hardships.

— AP