A young man was killed as Lebanon's northern city of Tripoli was rocked by widespread riots following a crash in the Lebanese national currency and surge in food prices. Dozens of protesters threw molotov cocktail and set at least two banks on fire. Hundreds of angry Lebanese participated in the funeral of the man.
The authorities quickly deployed troops in the area to prevent the situation from further escalating. The violence in Lebanon's second largest city flared up late on Monday and lasted till midnight. Protesters enraged over rising unemployment and poverty went on the rampage throwing fire bombs at several banks and ATM machines.
According to the Lebanese military, many people got injured and dozens of protesters were arrested. The body of Fawaz al-Samman, 27, was brought from his parent's home in a procession and placed in front of his motorcycle repair shop for some time. Hundreds of people marched in his funeral procession. The body was later buried in a Tripoli cemetery.
Protesters threw firebombs and grenades at military
Shortly after the funeral began on Tuesday, violence again flared up at Nour Square where troops were deployed to scatter the protesters. According to the Associated Press, the military has opened an investigation into al-Samman's death.
The military stated that protesters who attacked the banks also threw firebombs and grenades at them and set military vehicles on fire. At least 54 troops were left injured in the mob attack. People's anger has been building up against banks after they imposed capital controls on their accounts.
Lebanon is currently facing its worse economic and financial crises since the end of the 1975-90 civil war. The Lebanese national currency took a battering over the weekend and costs 4,000 pounds to one dollar in the black market while its official price remained at 1,507 pounds.
Protests broke out in several parts of the country, blocking roads which in turn prevented health workers from going hospitals to take care of coronavirus patients and conduct new tests. Lebanon recorded three new cases on Monday taking the total number of cases to 717 with 24 fatalities.
