Rioters upset about lockdown set fires
TRIPOLI — A tense calm prevailed in this northern Lebanese city Friday after rioters set fire to several government buildings, capping days of violent clashes as anger over growing poverty made worse by the coronavirus lockdown boiled over.
Authorities deployed more troops in the country’s secondlargest city in an effort to quell the rioting, which has led to repeated confrontations with security forces in which one person has been killed and more than 250 others have been injured.
Lebanese leaders condemned the violence and demanded an investigation while accusing each other of exploiting the residents’ poverty and frustration to score political points. In a worrying sign, some politicians attacked the military, accusing it of doing nothing to stop the vandalism.
While the protests are targeting the strict lockdown measures, they also reflect the growing anger over authorities’ indifference in the face of Lebanon’s economic meltdown.