Lebanon police drives protesters out of ministry
Lebanese riot police have forcibly driven out protesters who had occupied part of the country’s Environment Ministry in the capital, Beirut.
Several activists from the "You Stink" campaign were reportedly injured on Tuesday when the police started moving them down from the eighth floor of the building of the ministry.
The protesters had occupied the floor earlier in the day, protesting the prolonged garbage crisis in the capital. They organized a sit-in in the ministry.
The Lebanese Red Cross said about 15 protesters were offered first aid on the spot and one was rushed to hospital.
The protesters called for the resignation of the country’s Environment Minister Mohammed Machnouk over his failure to resolve the rubbish accumulation crisis in the city.
“We will stay here until our demands are met,” Imad Bazzi, one of the organizers of the protests held by the movement, said.
The protesters chanted slogans against the minister and encouraged Lebanese citizens and employees of the ministry to join the protest.
The movement had issued a 72-hour ultimatum on Saturday for the minister to resign.
Machnouk, who was at his office on the building's 8th floor, said, “I am carrying out my duties” and demanded that security forces discharge their duties.
Reports say the minister asked for a meeting with a representative from the movement, but his request was rejected.
Beirut has been the scene of daily protests over the past week, including two massive rallies that turned violent over the weekend. Violent protests have left at least one person dead while dozens of protesters and police forces have been injured.
The campaign was launched after the Environment Ministry closed its largest Naameh landfill site on July 17 because it had been filled up.
Garbage from the city used to be disposed at the Naameh landfill in the mountainous region southeast of the capital. Since its closure, garbage collectors have stopped taking the garbage away, saying they have no place to dispose it.
The stink of uncollected garbage has filled the streets of the capital, prompting the Health Ministry to warn that the country will be on the brink of a “major health disaster” if the issue is not quickly resolved.
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