Protesters in violent clashes with bank staff, security forces in Lebanon

NAJIA HOUSSARI
Confrontations between protestors and bank employees in the afternoon, which then escalated into a violent clash with officers from the security forces responsible for protecting the bank. (Screenshot/Supplied)
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  • Roads in the area were blocked with burning tires
  • Lebanon is currently in the grip of a liquidity crisis

BEIRUT: Angry protesters stormed a branch of the Bank of Lebanon and Overseas (BLOM) on Friday in the city of Halba in northern Lebanon.

Confrontations between protestors and bank employees in the afternoon, which then escalated into a violent clash with officers from the security forces responsible for protecting the bank, with shots fired and rocks thrown.

Roads in the area were blocked with burning tires and the clashes resulted in two members of the Civil Defence being injured.

Lebanon is currently in the grip of a liquidity crisis, a symptom of an economic crash that has led to banking measures which set limits for withdrawals of US dollars, sometimes set at $100 a week.

Topics: Middle East Lebanon