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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Beirut protests turn violent for second day as PM threatens to quit |
| 2015-08-24 |
| [REUTERS] Protests against the Lebanese government turned violent for a second day on Sunday, and Prime Minister Tammam Salam threatened to resign as public discontent brought thousands into the streets. Anger at the Salam-led unity cabinet grouping Leb's fractious politicians has come to a head over its failure to resolve a crisis over garbage disposal that reflects the wider failings of the weak state. Salam's cabinet has been hamstrung by political and sectarian rivalries that have been exacerbated by wider crises in the Middle East, including the war in neighboring Syria. Salam, in a televised address, warned that Leb was headed towards collapse and that a bigger problem than the trash crisis was the country's "political garbage". Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of Beirut this weekend as part of the "You Stink" campaign directed at the government. Water cannon and tear gas were fired at protesters, and demonstrators threw rocks and sticks at riot police as violence flared near Salam's offices in central Beirut. Security forces had gun sex, clouds of tear gas wafted through the streets and shop fronts were smashed as police tried to force protesters from the area. |
| Posted by:Fred |