In Tripoli, the heart of the revolution turned into a warzone between weaponized riot police and unarmed protesters.
On Wednesday, tensions first rose slowly for the third night as protesters gathered at and nearby Al-Nour Square (Abdul Hamid Karami Square) and in front of the Serail building.
The crowd of demonstrators was even larger than the days before with hundreds present to protest the unbearable living conditions. It included men, women, and children of all ages.
Many of them protested peacefully during the day. They carried out a sit-in in Al-Nour Square and proceeded to march around the city’s streets with loudspeakers on trucks, sounding out patriotic and revolutionary chants.
Others, however, engaged in scuffles with security forces for the third night near the Serail building as night fell.
From outside the Serail walls, protesters threw Molotov cocktails towards the building, resulting in several injuries among the authorities.
From within the gates of the Serail, the security forces used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the protesters before resorting to using live bullets.
The crowd attempted to break into the Serail building and reportedly succeeded to break the entrance gate. They also reportedly set fire to a number of cars.
To push back the rioters, the ISF issued a statement warning everyone to clear the streets because it was left with no choice but to use extreme force.
Heavy gunfire was heard from the ISF, who reportedly used both rubber bullets and live ammunition to ward off the protesters.
Protesters evacuated into the inner streets of Tripoli away from Al-Nour Square before a smaller crowd returned – unshaken by the tear gas filling the air – running towards the riot police.
The authorities quickly fired live ammunition directly towards the unarmed protesters, leading to several severe injuries.
Protesters in Beirut, Sidon, and Tyre went down to the streets in solidarity with the people of Tripoli, the city which is dubbed the Bride of the Revolution, and Mother of the Poor.
At the time of writing, the Lebanese Army has intervened to restore calm to the area. However, protesters are refusing to leave the square. More tear gas is being fired and the confrontations are not over.
