Protests Resume in Parallel with Parliament Meeting

W460

Lebanese protesters gathered at the Ring flyover and in Martyr's Square in Downtown Beirut ahead of a planned vehicle march to the UNESCO Palace where the Parliament is set to convene, the National News Agency reported on Tuesday.

Campaigners flocked from various regions to partake in protests against the country's deteriorating economic and financial conditions, aggravated by the coronavirus outbreak.

The calls came despite lockdown measures imposed against spread of the virus.

Lebanese have called for mass rallies this week after months of mass anti-government protests brought to a halt over the coronavirus outbreak.

Lawmakers will meet exceptionally at UNESCO, instead of the Parliament’s building in Nejmeh Square, due to its wide area to maintain at least a six-foot distance between lawmakers amid the outbreak of coronavirus.

Sixty-six items are listed on the agenda some of which are controversial including a World Bank loan for strengthening the health system, a majority vote on a law aimed at fighting corruption, a proposal to grant general amnesty, and many others.

Over the weekend, several hundred people protested in the northern city of Tripoli, in Saadnayel and in the southern city of Sidon, despite the country's coronavirus lockdown, marking six months since mass rallies broke out over government corruption and economic hardship.

The initial rallies on October 17 last year were sparked by a raft of new taxes, and quickly morphed into a street movement calling for a full overhaul of the political class.

SourceNaharnet
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