Protesters Block Roads, Close Schools as Uprising Enters Day 50

W460

Setting a date for the binding parliamentary consultations has not appeased protests against corruption and mismanagement in Lebanon as protesters blocked several roads and closed schools on Thursday keeping up the flame of 50 days of protests that witnessed suicides linked to a deteriorating economic crisis.

In the northern city of Tripoli, university students skipped classes and blocked a major highway linking Tripoli to el-Koura. The main square in Tripoli, al-Nour, remains blocked since the protests began on October 17.

In the southern city of Sidon, angry students and protesters disrupted traffic at the city’s main square before marching towards public institutions and banks to force them to close. They also marched to schools to close them down calling on students to join the protest.

Other roads in north of Beirut were blocked with burning tires including a highway near Casino du Liban.

On Wednesday, the presidency announced that consultations to name a new prime minister will begin Monday, more than a month after a wave of protests led Prime Minister Saad Hariri to resign.

But protesters have already began rallying against the potential candidate for the job, saying he is too close to the political elite they have been calling on to step down.

In a stark reflection of the deepening economic crisis, Danny Abi Haidar, in his 40s shot himself to death Wednesday with a bird rifle when he became despondent over salary cuts in recent weeks, according to his family.

Many private companies have resorted to reducing staff or slashing their pay to deal with rising inflation and liquidity crunch.

Protesters, already mobilized against the name floated as a potential successor for resigned Prime Minister Saad Hariri, gathered in central Beirut on Wednesday to mourn Abi Haidar’s death.

The protesters say Samir Khatib, named as a possible prime minister and a prominent contractor, is close to the political elite they have been protesting since Oct. 17.

Hundreds of protesters blocked in towns in the Bekaa valley in the east on Wednesday in rallies against Khatib. Lebanon’s armed forces said it arrested 16 protesters following scuffles to break up road blocks.

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