Retired Military Officers Escalate Protests, Block Major Highways into Beirut

Retired servicemen blocked major highways around Lebanon early on Thursday as angry commuters stuck in traffic expressed dismay standing in long queues of vehicles in the scorching heat.

The five-hour protest, which began at dawn on Thursday, saw closures of the northern, southern and eastern entrances to Beirut. The demonstration caused major traffic jams and delays in getting into the city.

The protesters plan was to end the blockage not before 10:00 am, but they made a gradual opening of some roads at the request of the Lebanese Army.

On Wednesday, the retired servicemen vowed to escalate measures and block all roads leading to and from the capital in protests against the benefit cuts proposed in the 2019 draft state budget.

The servicemen have warned of a second stage of protests they said might include “besieging and isolating the parliament building and gradually isolating Lebanon from the outside world when the legislature convenes to discuss the draft state budget.”

Lebanon is dealing with a looming crisis as the economy struggles with soaring debt, rising unemployment and slow growth. The government's tightened budget and key reforms aim to unlock billions of dollars in pledged foreign assistance.

But the planned cuts have unleashed a wave of public discontent, amid leaks that austerity measures could target pensions, wages, services and social benefits.