Lebanese protesters clash with police over trash crisis

adminJanuary 14, 2016UncategorisedComments are off for this post

Lebanese anti-government protesters clash with policemen outside the Environment Ministry in support of activists who were detained after staging a sit-in inside, in downtown Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, Jan. 14, 2016. Lebanon’s trash collection crisis which set off huge protests in the summer is still festering, with no immediate solution on the horizon. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

By Associated Press January 14

BEIRUT — Dozens of Lebanese protesters have clashed with police in downtown Beirut over the country’s months-long trash collection crisis.

The clash began after a group of protesters entered the environment ministry to stage a sit-in inside. The protest was timed to coincide with a Cabinet meeting to discuss the issue.

The latest initiative to solve the crisis — a proposal to export the waste temporarily, which was agreed on in December — has stalled because of disputes.

In Thursday’s melee, some of the demonstrators protesting the lack of transparency in dealing with the issue were detained while others were beaten by baton-wielding riot police who chased them away.

The collection crisis erupted in July after authorities closed the primary landfill for Beirut and the surrounding coastal governorate without providing an alternative.