Protests in Lebanon ahead of fuel price hike

Two men ride past burning garbage bins during a protest at a main road in Lebanon’s capital Beirut against dire living conditions amidst the ongoing economical and political crisis, yesterday.

Protesters blocked roads across Lebanon yesterday over a deepening economic downturn that has led to a fuel crisis and severe power shortages. The demonstrations came ahead of hikes in the price of fuel that the energy ministry said it would issue today morning. They also came as power cuts resulting from fuel shortages caused disruptions at a main Beirut hospital and at a security force headquarters in the capital, according to local media reports. AFP correspondents said protesters blocked major roads and burned tyres and garbage bins in Beirut, while the official National News Agency said roadways north and southeast of the capital were also blocked. Protesters in the south Lebanon city of Nabatiyeh parked vehicles across a main artery to stop traffic, the NNA said. The demonstrations took place after weekend scuffles between security forces and protesters that left nearly 20 people wounded in the northern city of Tripoli following a plunge in the value of the Lebanese pound.