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Lebanese security forces fired tear gas at hundreds of protesters, mostly retired members of the security forces, who had gathered near government buildings in Beirut in anger at deteriorating economic conditions on Wednesday.
Carrying Lebanon’s tricolour flags or flags bearing the logos of security forces, the protesters expressed outrage at the deteriorating value of state pensions paid in the local currency. According to Reuters, the pound has lost more than 98 per cent of its value against the U.S. dollar since 2019.
“I served 22 years in the military institution, in the cold and in the heat, we sacrificed everything for this country. We sacrificed everything for this country. But we will not accept to be humiliated this way. We will take the streets until we get our rights,” Walid Bekaai, a retired army personnel, said.
Lebanon’s economic meltdown began in 2019 after decades of profligate spending and alleged corruption. Its onset prompted the most wide-ranging protests the country had seen in years, but they fizzled out and rallies have been sporadic since. There was no immediate statement from the Lebanese army following the Wednesday protests.
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