This archive report was first published on 14 June 2020.
Lebanon's economic crisis deepened on Saturday, with hundreds of demonstrators taking to the streets for a third consecutive day.
Protests erupted in Beirut and Tripoli, with demonstrators brandishing flags and chanting anti-government slogans.
"We are here to demand the formation of a new transitional government and early parliamentary elections," Nehmat Badreddine, an activist and demonstrator, told AFP near the Grand Serail seat of government.
Violence broke out in Tripoli, where young men scuffled with security forces, who fired rubber bullets to disperse crowds.
Prime Minister Hassan Diab condemned the violence, terming it a "coup" against the government and "manipulation" of the value of the Lebanese pound.
Lebanon is caught in a spiralling economic crisis, with a rapid devaluation of the Lebanese pound triggering a fresh wave of demonstrations since Thursday.
Local media reported that the exchange rate had tumbled to 6,000 Lebanese pounds per dollar on the black market at one point Friday, compared to the official peg of 1,507 in place since 1997.
President Michel Aoun announced that the central bank would implement measures from Monday, including "feeding dollars into the market" to support the Lebanese pound.
