Protests held in Lebanon as currency plummets to new low

BEIRUT — Lebanon’s currency plummets to a new record low, continuing its crash amid a worsening economic crisis that has triggered near-daily protests throughout the tiny Mediterranean country.

Among the protests is a small one near parliament, where riot police fire tear gas to disperse scores of young men throwing stones at security forces. The protesters also try to break through a metal gate leading to the legislature.

Lebanon’s worst economic crisis in decades began in October 2019 and worsened with the spread of coronavirus and a massive explosion in Beirut in August. The blast of nearly 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate, a highly explosive material used in fertilizers, killed 211 and wounded more than 6,000.

In addition to Beirut, there are also protests in the country’s largest cities of Tripoli, Sidon and Tyre, as well as road closures in different parts of Lebanon.