Hezbollah, Amal Supporters pull down protesters’ tents in Beirut
Tue 29 October 2019:
A group of men shouting Hezbollah and Amal Movement slogans attacked protesters and overrun a sit-in blocking a major highway before chasing the demonstrators down the hill to Martyrs’ Square and destroying the 13 day-old sit-in.
The group of a few hundred men pulled down tents, smashed chairs and tore down stages at the centre of the national protest against the government. As their numbers swelled, the army was deployed to push them out of downtown but hundreds headed down the road towards the prime minister’s office at Riad Al Solh where a few hundred protesters were still gathered.
Video today of #Hezbollah and #Amal supporters attacking the protesters in #Lebanon today: pic.twitter.com/BZYeHuS76A
— Jason Brodsky (@JasonMBrodsky) October 29, 2019
Police tried to keep the men back, firing teargas and engaging with buttons. Most of the protesters appeared to have fled. The army chased the men up the road from Downtown to Riad al Solh.
Earlier the security forces stood on the sidelines, doing little to stop the destruction as men tore down banners in the centre of Beirut calling for the resignation of the government in an attempt to end the movement.
Here is a video of the Hezbollah / Amal supporters surrounding me and taking my phone, after I told them in was a journalist. #LebanonProtests #LebaneseRevolution pic.twitter.com/Xjfzi0EPN2
— Rebecca Collard (@rebeccacollard) October 29, 2019
After trying to smash a large wooden silhouette of a raised fist with the word ‘revolution’ written on it in the centre of Martyrs’ Square, a group of men set fire to the sign. A large group of riot police stood by and watched.
The situation as very tense. The army moved in shortly after the fighting to reinforce police units but after the initial scuffles back and forth on the Beirut ring road connecting east and west Beirut, they appeared to do little to stop the chaos.
Protesters appeared to have fled the scene in the face of the attack but live footage from local TV appeared to show groups of men surrounding and attacking anyone who was still left. Footage showed a group chase a young woman as she tried to flee before a police officer stopped the men.
Prime Minister Saad Hariri is set to address the country on Monday afternoon, with many expecting him to resign.
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