Security forces agents fired tear gas and confronted stone-throwing protesters this Saturday in Beirut, the Lebanese capital, amid an outburst of rage after the massive explosion that devastated much of the city on Tuesday and killed to at least 158 people. Around 6,000 were injured and dozens were still unaccounted for as of this Saturday, when the reasons for the explosion are still not fully clarified.
Organizers of the protest placed symbols to metaphorically indicate their condemnation of various political representatives, whose corruption and negligence they hold responsible for what happened. Among them, mock ropes were seen. "Resignation or hanging," read a banner. Groups of protesters stormed the buildings of some ministries.
People evacuate injured in a massive explosion that occurred last Tuesday in Beirut. AP
What exploded were thousands of tons of ammonium nitrate, allegedly improperly stored in the city's port for more than six years . According to what is known so far, this chemical used in explosives and fertilizers was confiscated from a Russian merchant, seized in 2013.
[Beirut struggles to climb out of the rubble. Rescuers recover bodies after the explosion that has left more than 150 dead]
Apparently caused by fire, the explosion was by far the largest in the turbulent history of this Middle Eastern country that shares a border with Israel. The Beirut governor said the incident caused $ 10-15 billion in damage. It also destroyed 6,200 buildings and left hundreds of thousands of people homeless.
Clashes between the police and protesters during this Saturday's protest in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon. AP
Small groups of young people began this Saturday to throw stones at the security forces . Near Parliament, riot police fired tear gas at some who tried to jump barriers that closed off the road leading to this institutional building. The protesters subsequently set fire to a nearby truck.
A police officer died in a downtown hotel in the city during one of the clashes with the protesters and at least 172 people were injured, according to the EFE news agency.
On video: The Beirut explosion surprises a woman in labor
Aug. 7, 202001: 02Many participants in the protests blame what happened to the country's ruling class , made up mostly of former leaders of the civil war era (1975-1990), for the incompetence and mismanagement attributed to it.
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Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab addressed the nation on Saturday, calling for early parliamentary elections and an investigation into the material that allegedly caused the explosion.
Relatives of a military man who died in the explosion on Tuesday in Beirut mourn his loved one this Friday during the funeral in his hometown.
Other countries have sent aid to Lebanon to manage the emergency, while rescue teams are still searching for missing people and health workers treat the injured in field hospitals set up in the city.
With information from AP, CNN and EFE.
