Lebanon's prime minister holds an emergency Cabinet meeting after a night of raging protests that saw demonstrators shut down roads across the country with burning tires in renewed protests spurred by a plunging national currency.
CORRECTS DATE TO EARLY FRIDAY, JUNE 12 Riot police advance to push back the anti-government protesters from a square near the government house, during a protest against the political leadership they blame for the economic and financial crisis, in downtown Beirut, Lebanon, early Friday, June 12, 2020.
Scuffles with security forces broke out in several locations Thursday night as people spontaneously took to the streets after the pound tumbled to a new low against the dollar. Protesters in central Beirut pelted police and soldiers with rocks and smashed some storefronts, drawing volleys of tear gas.
Security forces reopened blocked roads early Friday as the protests calmed. Prime Minister Hassan Diab canceled his scheduled meetings for the day and called for an emergency session to discuss the crisis. Riad Salameh, the governor of the central bank who has been singled out by Diab for his mishandling of the situation, was taking part in the meeting.
Despite efforts to control the currency depreciation in recent weeks, the Lebanese pound tumbled to more than 6,000 to the dollar on Thursday, down from 4,000 on the black market in recent days. The pound had maintained a fixed rate of 1,500 to the dollar for nearly 30 years.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Lebanese take to the streets as currency hits a new lowHundreds of Lebanese poured into the streets to protest the tumbling of the national currency to a new low against the dollar, blocking roads and highways across the country that had started slowly opening up after months of coronavirus restrictions.
Read more »
Meet 4 young activists fighting racial injustice across the nationAt the heart of the Black Lives Matter movement, a new generation of activists is demanding to be heard and using their voices to enact change.
Read more »
Monuments deemed racist topple in wake of George Floyd's killingTracking the statues that have been taken down by governments or protesters during the worldwide protests.
Read more »
Protests, Politics and Presidential Disapproval—the Gender Gulf GrowsA double-digit gender gulf persists, with women’s opinions making the difference on top issues. From racial inequality and peaceful protests, to health care (particularly with a pandemic raging on) and the economy—women are leading public opinion.
Read more »
Lebanese demonstrators rekindle mass protests as pound collapsesLebanon is in the grip of its worst economic turmoil in decades and holding talks with the International Monetary Fund to secure billions in aid.
Read more »
Factbox: What changes are governments making in response to George Floyd protests?Protests over the death of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody have prompted government and police officials across the United States to enact or propose changes aimed at showing demonstrators that their concerns about police brutality and racism are being heard.
Read more »