One person pronounced dead in violent riots north of Lebanon

Economic instability in Lebanon has sent the country’s currency plummeting to an all-time low, forcing thousands of Lebanese to take to the streets to protest the government’s handling of the economy.

Anti-government protesters scuffle with Lebanese army soldiers in the town of Zouk Mosbeh, north of Beirut, Lebanon, April 27, 2020. (AP/Bilal Hussein)

The largest set of protests took place on Monday in northern Tripoli. Demonstrations started peacefully but quickly turned into riots after people started vandalizing and setting banks and cars on fire.

People inspect a bank set ablaze overnight by protesters [Ibrahim Chalhoub/AFP]

Police and military personnel were sent to the scene to disperse the protesters but instead faced deadly unrelenting resistance. According to Lebanon’s army, two soldiers were injured and several army vehicles were torched after a demonstrator threw a grenade towards them. In total, 40 soldiers were injured in riots in Tripoli alone and 54 others in protests in other parts of the country. "The army leadership, while reaffirming its respect for the right of citizens to express their opinions, warns of some attempts to exploit demonstrations to carry out actions that affect security and stability," Lebanon’s army said in a statement. A protester identified by his sister, on a Facebook post, as Fouaz Fouad al-Seman died when soldiers began using live gunfire to disperse people.

But military officials have denied using live gunfire to shoot at protesters-- saying troops on the ground were only authorized to use rubber bullets at the demonstrators. However, the military has acknowledged using live ammunition to fire shots in the sky as a deterrent.

The protests began last October but died off after the country was hit with a series of COVID-19 cases. The protests recently re-erupted after the Lebanese pound began rapidly depreciating.

"This is a letter to each corrupt politician," a protester in Tripoli said to his camera Monday night. "When we the Lebanese people get hungry, we're going to remove you one by one… We're coming for you one by one." The Human Rights Watch Organization warns that millions of Lebanese could suffer from starvation if current economic trends continue during this age of Covid-19.

The pound has now lost more than 50 percent of its value. By: Niza Nondo