Protesters clash with Lebanese security in Beirut for second night in a row

Protesters began to gather Wednesday night in front of the Lebanese central bank near Beirut’s Hamra street and clashed with anti-riot police for a second consecutive night.

The clashes in Beirut’s Hamra area on Tuesday saw some of the worst violence since anti-government protests began in October. Security forces fired tear gas outside the central bank to disperse protesters who pelted them with stones and fireworks.

The banking association condemned the attacks as the work of a “mercenary mob” and not the “real revolutionaries of Lebanon” seeking reform.

At least 37 people on both sides were injured as security forces fired tear gas to disperse the demonstrators the previous day, a Red Cross spokesperson told AFP.