- Title: Lebanon protests enter 10th day with no end in sight, army tries to open roads
- Date: 26th October 2019
- Summary: PEOPLE GATHERING NEAR TENTS
- Embargoed: 9th November 2019 12:54
- Keywords: Lebanon protests Beirut Sidon roads block security protesters civil unrest
- Location: BEIRUT, SIDON AND JAL EL DIB, LEBANON
- City: BEIRUT, SIDON AND JAL EL DIB, LEBANON
- Country: Lebanon
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Civil Unrest
- Reuters ID: LVA004B2QHDFR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Protesters trickled back on to the streets across Lebanon on Saturday (October 26), despite army efforts to unblock roads, with no end in sight to a crisis that has crippled the country for 10 days.
A military statement said army and security commanders met to plan ways to re-open main arteries to get traffic flowing again while "safeguarding the safety of protesters". Protesters have closed routes with barriers and sit-ins as part of a wave of unprecedented protests demanding the government resigns.
Lebanon has been swept by 10 days of protests against a political class accused of corruption, mismanagement of state finances and pushing the country towards an economic collapse unseen since the 1975-90 civil war.
Banks will stay closed until life returns to normal and will pay month-end salaries through ATMs, the Association of Banks in Lebanon has said.
It has held crisis meetings in recent days in search of a way to reopen banks amid growing fears that a rush on them could deplete dwindling foreign currency deposits.
In the southern coastal city of Sidon, some shops opened their doors after days of closure.
"Shopkeepers are opening up to see if they can get things moving. The end of the month is near, people have rents to pay," said protester Hoda Hafez.
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah he leader of Lebanon's powerful Hezbollah movement, backed by Iran, warned on Friday (October 26) against a power vacuum and urged followers to stay away from the protests after they confronted demonstrators in central Beirut.
(Production: Alaa Kanaan, Ahmad El Kerdi, Issam Abdallah, Hassan Hankir, Imad Creidi, Yara Abi Nader) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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