- Title: Lebanon protesters vow to stay on streets despite economic reforms
- Date: 22nd October 2019
- Summary: SIDON, LEBANON (OCTOBER 22, 2019) (REUTERS) PROTESTERS BLOCKING ROAD NEAR MOSQUE PEOPLE WALKING NEAR MOSQUE VARIOUS OF LEBANESE ARMY SOLDIERS PATROLLING AREA PROTESTERS GESTURING PEACE SIGN WHILE BLOCKING VEHICLES BLOCKED ROAD PROTESTERS OPENING ROAD FOR AMBULANCE DRIVING THEN BLOCKING IT AGAIN (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) LEBANESE PROTESTER, 22, NO NAME PROVIDED, SAYING: "I am here staying in the streets demanding my rights and the rights of that exhausted soldier, soldiers who are paying taxes like me and who are suffering like me. (I am staying on the streets) for my children and for his children, to find a country to live in and not have to emigrate and leave my country." VARIOUS OF SOLDIERS NEAR BLOCKED ROAD VARIOUS OF CLOSED BUSINESSES AND SHOPS VARIOUS OF PEOPLE CLEANING IN FRONT OF THEIR SHOPS TRIPOLI, LEBANON (OCTOBER 22, 2019) (REUTERS) WRITING ON BUILDING READING (Arabic): "FROM TRIPOLI, THANK YOU TO THE ARMY, THE SECURITY FORCES AND THE MUNICIPALITY OF TRIPOLI. TRIPOLI THE CITY OF FREEDOM AND COEXISTENCE. THE REVOLUTION OF THE PEOPLE" WRITING ON BUILDING READING (Arabic): "THE REVOLUTION OF THE PEOPLE" CEMENT BLOCKS BLOCKING ROADS MOTORCYCLIST PARKED BEHIND BLOCK MAIN SQUARE IN TRIPOLI WHERE PROTESTS HAVE OCCURRED VARIOUS OF CLOSED BANKS WITH GRAFFITI ON WINDOWS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) LEBANESE CITIZEN VOLUNTEERING TO HELP PROTESTERS IN TRIPOLI, MAJED AL-DARWISH, SAYING: "People are going to the streets for their future and the future of their children. In reality, the political class that we have has left them nothing. Before this uprising - if we can call it that - the government tried to pick the pocket of every poor (person) until they were left nothing." VARIOUS OF SEATED PROTESTERS WITH LEBANESE FLAG FACE PAINT PEOPLE WALKING PAST CLOSED SHOPS VARIOUS OF MAN SITTING UNDER ATM OF A CLOSED BANK BEIRUT, LEBANON (OCTOBER 22, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS IN CENTRAL BEIRUT'S MARTYRS SQUARE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) LEBANESE PROTESTER, WAJDI TAHMOUSH, SAYING: "We are staying in the streets. This is the sixth day and we will stay for sixty if they don't want to leave. We don't want a government of political parties anymore, that's it, this is what we want. The people do not trust this political class, even if they light all their fingers, we don't believe them anymore because today, they say something and tomorrow they change." VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS GATHERING LEBANESE GOVERNMENT HEADQUARTERS BUILDING PROTESTERS GATHERING AROUND LEBANESE FLAG IN MARTYRS SQUARE
- Embargoed: 5th November 2019 09:44
- Keywords: Lebanon anti-government protesters Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri Beirut Sidon Tripoli
- Location: SIDON, TRIPOLI AND BEIRUT, LEBANON
- City: SIDON, TRIPOLI AND BEIRUT, LEBANON
- Country: Lebanon
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001B26J0P3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Anti-government protesters across Lebanon vowed to stay on the streets on Tuesday (October 22) in an unprecedented show of dissent against its ruling elite and despite the announcement of economic reforms.
Hundreds of thousands of people have flooded the streets since Thursday, furious at a political class they accuse of pushing the economy to the point of collapse.
Aiming to defuse anger, the government led by Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri announced a set of measures on Monday (October 21) including long-delayed reforms he said aimed to fight corruption and waste.
But the moves did not go far enough to persuade demonstrators to leave the streets or investors to halt a plunge in its bonds.
Banks and schools remained shut on Tuesday. Early in the morning, the number of protesters in central Beirut and the northern city of Tripoli appeared smaller than on previous days.
Security forces are trying to persuade protesters to reopen roads across Lebanon through peaceful means but will not use force if they refuse, a security source said on Tuesday.
(Production: Hassan Hankir, Walid Saleh, Imad Creidi, Alaa Kanaan, Yara Abi Nader) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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