Thousands of protesters gathered in Beirut Square in Beirut to protest government incompetence that caused an explosion • Protesters tried to break through police checkpoints and enter parliament building • Police responded by firing tear gas • Army called for restraint

• The demonstrators and gallows that were placed in the Shuhada Square in Beirut

Hundreds of protesters gathered today in the Shuhada Square in central Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, in protest of the Lebanese government's incompetence that led to the country's economic crisis and an explosion in the port of Beirut that claimed the lives of 158 people. 

The demonstrators are calling for condemnation of the government and Hezbollah. Radio "Voice of Beirut" posted a video on the social network Twitter in which hundreds of young people were seen reading "Hezbollah is a terrorist organization." 

The demonstrators tried to break into the parliament building near the center of the demonstrations and some of them managed to cross the checkpoints set by the police in preparation for the demonstrations. Police in riot gear stormed a rally on Friday, removing hundreds of protesters by truck. The protesters placed a long line of gallows in the square, which were said to be intended for "culprits in the disaster". 

The Lebanese army issued a statement in which it revealed understanding "to the deep regret of the protesters" but called on them to respect freedom of speech and not to block roads or break the law in other ways. 

Meanwhile, the Lebanese Ministry of Health reported that the number of people killed in the explosion in the port of Beirut had risen to 581 people. The blast on Tuesday caused unprecedented damage to the center of the Lebanese capital. More than 6,000 people were injured and more than 20 are still missing. The blast was apparently caused by a flare-up of a nitrogen-laden ammonia warehouse in the port of Beirut. According to various allegations made in the Lebanese media, Hezbollah weapons were also kept in the warehouse, but this is not verified.