Many Held for 'Hurling Firecrackers' at ISF in Riad al-Solh as Protesters March to Hamra

The Internal Security Forces on Wednesday arrested a number of individuals who were “distributing powerful firecrackers in the Riad al-Solh Square and hurling some of them at security forces,” state-run National News Agency reported.

Earlier in the evening, NNA said some young men had hurled several firecrackers across the barb wire that is installed outside the Grand Serail.

The arrests come after scores were detained overnight Tuesday on charges of rioting and hurling objects at security forces. Most of the detainees were released on Wednesday, according to activists.

The square has been witnessing daily protests since Saturday, when the You Stink anti-trash campaign organized a large demo that turned violent.

Some activists as well as some politicians have accused politically-motivated “infiltrators” of sparking the confrontations with security forces.

Earlier on Wednesday, protesters from the We Want Accountability campaign organized a solidarity march from Riad al-Solh to the American University of Beirut Medical Center in Hamra, where the young man Mohammed Qassir has been lying in critical condition since Sunday, when he was injured in clashes between security forces and protesters in central Beirut.

The rally also voiced solidarity with all those who were injured in recent demos and demanded accountability over the use of excessive force.

Meanwhile, activists from the You Stink campaign also held a candlelight vigil in Riad al-Solh to salute the wounded protesters.

"You Stink” began as an online group which accuses politicians of wanting to get the bigger cut from waste management contracts.

The trash crisis erupted when the Naameh landfill south of Beirut was closed on July 17 and when garbage began piling up on the streets of Beirut and Mount Lebanon.

At the weekend, Prime Minister Tammam Salam acknowledged protesters' frustrations and warned that his government risked becoming irrelevant if it could not address the public's concerns.

"We're heading towards collapse if things continue as they are," he cautioned.

But a cabinet meeting on Tuesday was unable to resolve the social issue that has united protesters for a rare display of non-sectarian anger.

It was intended to discuss companies qualified to bid for new waste removal contracts.

The list had drawn fire from activists who said the firms were linked to political figures and were seeking exorbitant fees.

Lebanon already pays some of the world's highest per-ton waste collection rates, and media said the companies sought to raise prices even further.

Y.R.