Protests in Tripoli claim 82 injured and one dead in one night

At least one person has been killed during protests in Tripoli and the Lebanese Red Cross reported a total of 82 injured overnight. Tensions remained high Wednesday night between protesters and security forces, a conflict that has been going on for three consecutive days.  

The Lebanese state news agency, NNA, reported that the deceased is a 30-year-old man who had been admitted to a hospital in Tripoli after clashes between security forces and protesters.  

A total of 220 people have been injured in the three days in the northern metropolis. Fifteen of those affected on Wednesday night had to be evacuated to hospitals. Earlier, the Red Cross had reported 67 injuries.  

Protesters took to the streets against the measures proposed by the government to contain COVID-19. They are protesting against the strict containment and the absence of state aid which hampers the living conditions of the Lebanese.  

Riot police were also deployed on Tuesday to prevent protesters from shutting down a main street in Beirut for the same reason as the protesters in Tripoli. The deployment took place on Corniche al-Mazraa after a small number of residents attempted to blockade the street. There were no direct clashes between the two sides and the road remained open.  

Later, protesters closed roads and a key thoroughfare in the northern and southern parts of the country with burning tyres and stones before Lebanese soldiers quickly moved in and reopened them.  There were no incidents there either. 

According to L'Orient Today, the Internal Security Force (ISF) had indicated that nine of its members were injured and one of them was in critical condition. 

Amnesty International has exposed new evidence revealing Lebanon's illegitimate use of French teams to suppress these protests. "New research by Amnesty International today exposes the shameful role played by French-origin law enforcement teams in the repression of mostly peaceful protests in Lebanon since October 2019, as well as protests in August 2015." They introduce in the statement released on Thursday. 

Amnesty International's research documents "the unnecessary or excessive use of force by Lebanese security forces against protesters through the use of French-made weapons, without accountability for the serious injuries caused."  

Before the health crisis caused by COVID-9, Tripoli was already one of the poorest cities in Lebanon. The various closures decreed by the authorities over the last year worsened the living conditions of its inhabitants. Many residents have found themselves without income since the beginning of the latest closure, especially day labourers.  

The country has also been plunged into a more severe economic crisis than ever before, with currency depreciation, hyperinflation and unemployment. Half of the population now lives in poverty.  

So far Lebanon has 282,249 cases of COVID-19 and 2,404 deaths. The health crisis has led to a lockdown consisting of a 24-hour curfew and closure of shops. Cases spiked after the authorities allowed family gatherings during the Christmas and New Year holidays.