MOSCOW (Sputnik) — All the parties responsible for violence against protesters in Lebanon will be held accountable and brought to justice, Prime Minister Tammam Salam said Sunday.
On Saturday, thousands of Lebanese activists took to the streets of Beirut to protest against government corruption and political inaction amid a spreading garbage crisis. The police used tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons to disperse the protesters. At least 15 demonstrators and 35 policemen were injured during the clashes, according to media reports.
"What happened yesterday during the demonstrations will not pass without accountability," Salam was quoted by the Arabic news portal Moheet as saying.
Lebanon faces a "difficult phase," and all political forces must bear the responsibility for what is going on in the country, the minister stressed adding that the right for peaceful protests in Lebanon was guaranteed.
Lebanon has been suffering from a political vacuum after then-President Michel Suleiman stepped down in 2014, and parliament repeatedly failed to agree on a candidate.
According to the news, Lebanon has 640 landfills.. Yet not a solution.. Garbage always existed. Why not recycle once & for all?
— Rita Kamel (@ritakml) 21 июля 2015
The problem of garbage in Lebanon became sharp after the country’s main landfill was closed in July. Since then, thousands of tonnes of garbage have been left uncollected as the officials fail to take measures.