Advertisement

Beirut readies for more protest over garbage pile-up

The pile-up of garbage in the streets of Beirut is the trigger issue for the demonstrators.

By Ed Adamczyk
Uncollected garbage has prompted demonstrations in Beirut. Photo courtesy of "#You Stink" Facebook page/ muftah.org
Uncollected garbage has prompted demonstrations in Beirut. Photo courtesy of "#You Stink" Facebook page/ muftah.org

BEIRUT, Lebanon, Aug. 28 (UPI) -- Violence will not be tolerated at a planned protest in Lebanon this weekend, the country's interior minister said.

"We are committed to protecting any citizen who expresses himself through peaceful means," said Nohad Machnouk, adding there is concern about "attempts by thugs to exploit the rally in order to vent political frustrations and spite."

Advertisement

The protest, over a government perceived as dysfunctional, follows rallies in Beirut last weekend that drew 20,000 people and led to clashes and injuries as demonstrators fought with police. Garbage, piling up in the streets of Beirut after the closure of a major landfill, was the focus of the protest, but the issue of trash is emblematic of disapproval over the handling of the government's day-to-day affairs by the political class which has dominated the country since 1990.

Organizers of the protest campaign with the slogan "You Stink," a reference not only to the garbage problem but with the government in general.

Hezbollah, the Lebanese militia and political party, has declared its support for the weekend demonstrations. Organizers say they seek to gain support for removing sectarianism from the government, which they claim would increase government services and prevent an Arab Spring-style overthrow, which has resulted in authoritarian regimes combing to power in other countries.

Advertisement

Latest Headlines