- Title: Facing protests, Lebanon approves emergency economic reforms
- Date: 21st October 2019
- Summary: TRIPOLI, LEBANON (OCTOBER 21, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS WAVING LEBANESE FLAGS IN TRIPOLI PROTESTER WITH FACE PAINT IN CROWD VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS WAVING FLAGS
- Embargoed: 4th November 2019 17:29
- Keywords: Lebanon protests Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri economy anti-government protests
- Location: TRIPOLI AND NABATIEH, LEBANON
- City: TRIPOLI AND NABATIEH, LEBANON
- Country: Lebanon
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Civil Unrest
- Reuters ID: LVA001B21JU4N
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: CONTAINS PROFANE LANGUAGE
Lebanon approved an emergency package of economic reforms on Monday (October 21) in response to nationwide protests against economic mismanagement, but demonstrations continued and foreign investors said the moves did not go far enough.
Hundreds of thousands of people have flooded the streets since Thursday (October 17), furious at a political class they accuse of pushing the economy to the point of collapse.
On Monday protesters blocked roads for a fifth day across the country. Schools, banks and businesses were closed. Banks would remain shut on Tuesday (October 22).
Hariri, addressing the protesters in a televised speech, said the measures agreed on Monday might not meet their demands but were a start towards achieving some of them. The government must work to regain the people's trust, he said.
The reforms included the symbolic halving of the salaries of government ministers and lawmakers, as well as moves towards implementing long-delayed measures seen as vital to putting Lebanon's public finances on a sustainable path.
The protests have been extraordinary because of their size and geographic reach in a country where political movements are normally divided on sectarian lines and struggle to draw nationwide appeal.
(Production: Walid Saleh, Karamallah Daher, Yara Abi Nader) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: Audio restrictions: This clip's Audio includes copyrighted material. User is responsible for obtaining additional clearances before publishing the audio contained in this clip.
