I’ve been coming in and out of Beirut for more than a decade now. Never have I seen the roads so empty as they were today. Hopping into the taxi, my driver immediately warned me the drive could take much longer than normal. “Yesterday,” he said, “the drive took hours.” But exiting the airport it became clear that an eery calm had blanketed the city.
Debris littered the road and the charred remains of streets signs were strewn about. But the chaos of yesterday had subsided at least momentarily. Before I had even realised it, we were nearing downtown in record time.
Things got a little more complicated as I approached my hotel. The neighborhood I’m staying in looks over Martyr’s Square and is not far from where the protesters have been gathering.
As we grew closer and closer to my hotel the driver became increasingly frustrated. Side streets were blocked and there was no way to navigate through the winding alleyways of the city.
I was forced to walk the last 500 metres. As I exited the car a hint of tear gas still filled the air. Down the street, crowds were gathering for another afternoon of demonstrations.
Two days of protests have Beirut on edge. People I've spoken to say it feels different than previous protests.
Clashes between demonstrators and security forces have turned violent at times and it doesn’t look like it will relent any time soon.
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A protester throws a tyre on to a fire to block a road during a protest in north of Beirut, Lebanon in October 2019. EPA -
Demonstrators sit together during a protest over deteriorating economic situation, in the city of Jounieh, north of Beirut. Reuters -
Demonstrators gather in Sidon, Lebanon. Reuters -
Lebanese riot police fire tear gas. AP Photo -
Protesters shout anti-government slogans in front of the Government Palace in downtown Beirut. EPA -
Thousands of protesters, mainly civil activists, condemned the proposed taxes that would go along with the 2020 budget, especially an unexpected government plan to impose a fee for using WhatsApp calls. EPA -
Public anger has simmered since parliament passed an austerity budget in July to help trim a ballooning deficit. EPA -
Protesters in the capital blocked the road to the airport with burning tyres, prompting a heavy deployment by security forces. EPA -
A crows of demonstrators faces police. EPA -
Lebanese demonstrators gather during a protest in Zouk Mikael. AFP -
Lebanese army convoy waits for a blocked road to be open. EPA -
An anti-government protester walks between burning tyres in Beirut, Lebanon. AP Photo -
Demonstrators run as they hold tyres during a protest over the deteriorating economic situation, in Dora, Lebanon. Reuters -
Lebanese demonstrators take a selfie during the protest. AFP -
Passengers walk to the airport after anti-government protesters blocked the road. AP Photo -
Anti-government protesters hold a placard with Arabic that reads "Revolution," as shout slogans against the Lebanese government. AP Photo -
A protester wearing a Guy Fawkes mask looks in Beirut's Salim Slem neighbourhood. AFP -
Lebanese demonstrators wave the national flag during a protest against dire economic conditions in downtown Beirut. AFP
