Prime Minister Saad Hariri reportedly received tens of phone calls discouraging him from resigning, including from a “personal Hizbullah envoy”, Nidaa al-Watan newspaper said on Saturday.

The Embassy of Saudi Arabia announced on Saturday that evacuation of its nationals due to disturbances in Lebanon began early on Saturday.

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.

Army troops and riot policemen used excessive force Friday evening to disperse anti-government protesters, making a large number of arrests.

Violent clashes and riots had broken out in downtown Beirut following a speech by Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who gave political parties a 72-hour ultimatum to support his reform agenda or face a possible resignation.

Two protesters were killed and six others were wounded when bodyguards of ex-MP Mosbah al-Ahdab opened fire during an anti-government demo in the northern city of Tripoli, media reports said.

The violence erupted after the protesters rejected Ahdab’s participation in their rally, pelting him with bottles.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Friday gave the country’s political parties a 72-hour ultimatum to back his reform agenda, in the face of unprecedented massive protests that have brought the country to a standstill.

“The country is going through an unprecedented situation. The pain of the Lebanese is real and I support every peaceful protest,” Hariri said in an address to the nation.

Free Patriotic Movement chief and Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil on Friday warned that the ongoing mass protests might descend into “chaos” and “civil strife,” as he lamented that some political parties are exploiting the demos to topple the presidency, the government and the parliament.

“What happened is the result of accumulating crises and failures,” Bassil said in a televised address from the Baabda Palace after meeting with President Michel Aoun.

The AMAL Movement said Friday that the popular protests that have engulfed the country are rightful and legitimate but warned that “suspicious elements” might infiltrate the demonstrations.

“We in the AMAL Movement stand by the legitimate demands that the movement had called for realizing on several occasions, whether during the drafting of the state budget or in terms of the implementation of the reform paper,” a statement said.

As thousands of demonstrators thronged the streets in Lebanon calling for the government's resignation, ex-PMs Najib Miqati, Fouad Saniora and Tammam Salam issued the following joint statement:

Lebanon entered a delicate turning point amid a looming political crisis and an understandable popular anger as a result of the economic crisis and stifling living conditions. It is noteworthy to say that the current happenings were preceded by escalation of positions mainly by key participants in power who raised the ceiling of confrontation through direct incitement.

Kataeb party leader MP Sami Gemayel on Friday hailed Lebanon’s “uprising” as thousands of protesters thronged the streets calling for the government's resignation, Gemayel said a statement released by his office.

Gemayel said the current government must “resign” and that a government of “specialists” must replace it. He also called for early parliamentary elections.