- Title: Hezbollah warns of chaos, civil war in Lebanon
- Date: 25th October 2019
- Summary: GHAZIEH, LEBANON (OCTOBER 25, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF CARS AND SCOOTERS CARRYING LEBANESE AND HEZBOLLAH FLAGS
- Embargoed: 8th November 2019 16:17
- Keywords: Hezbollah Nasrallah leader protests civil unrest
- Location: GHAZIEH AND UNIDENTIFIED LOCTAION, LEBANON
- City: GHAZIEH AND UNIDENTIFIED LOCTAION, LEBANON
- Country: Lebanon
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Civil Unrest
- Reuters ID: LVA001B2LJQ6F
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Hezbollah warned on Friday (October 25) that a power vacuum could tip Lebanon into civil war, suggesting that adversaries including the United States and Israel were seeking to exploit an unprecedented wave of demonstrations to provoke conflict.
Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, whose movement is part of Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri's coalition government, urged his followers to stay away from the protests after they clashed with demonstrators in Beirut.
Nasrallah praised the protest movement for forcing the government to agree a state budget without new taxes and "unprecedented" reforms including draft laws to lift banking secrecy, recover looted wealth and fight corruption.
But he also said the demonstrations that began spontaneously had in recent days been exploited by regional and international foes.
He reiterated Hezbollah's rejection of the resignation of the Hariri government and any move to topple its Christian ally, President Michel Aoun, saying this would leave a void.
Referring to countrywide roadblocks, he said if Lebanon remained crippled and shut down, people including the army would not get their wages and eventually Lebanon would be plunged into complete chaos.
After Nasrallah spoke, Hezbollah supporters waving the group's yellow flag took to the streets of the southern suburbs of Beirut, the group's stronghold.
(Production: Hassan Hankir, Imad Creidi, Chiara Rodriquez) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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