Naharnet

Protesters Met Aoun

President Michel Aoun received Friday evening a delegation representing protesters and told them that he will do all he can to "ease your suffering,” media reports said on Saturday.

Aoun's office posted a photo of the meeting that consisted eight persons sitting with Aoun at the presidential palace in Beirut's southeastern suburb of Baabda.

A member of the delegation told reporters later Friday the delegation told Aoun the government must resign and be replaced by an emergency Cabinet that calls for early parliamentary elections.

The man added that they told the president that "the situation cannot continue this way."

Thousands of protesters have been rallying across the country for the past two days, railing against top leaders including the president, prime minister and parliament speaker whom they blame for decades of corruption.

Small numbers of protesters are attacking public and private property in the Lebanese capital of Beirut after security forces fired tear gas on demonstrators demanding the resignation of the government.

Young men Friday night attacked some banks and street signs in downtown Beirut in an area between parliament and government headquarters.

Thousands of people have protested around the country for the second day, closing major roads over proposed taxes by the government.

Tear gas is still being fired at protesters in Beirut at night after the vast majority of the protesters left.

The protesters attacked the policemen with stones, fire crackers and water bottles.

Source: Associated Press, Naharnet


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