by aljazeera.com Farah Najjar-- Beirut, Lebanon - Violent demonstrations were witnessed on the streets of central Beirut as protesters gathered in the heart of the capital near the main entrance to parliament, which has been heavily fortified with barbed wire, steel gates and metal plates. Protesters lobbed stones, firecrackers and street signs at riot police, who fired water cannons, tear gas and rubber-coated bullets in a bid to clear the area. Security forces stood behind the fortified wall as reinforcements were sent to block demonstrators from passing through via parallel roads in the area.

Lebanon announced the formation of a new government on Tuesday following three months of political blockade. However, the protesters say the new government comprises the same people they have been rallying against since October 17. "We want the government to work according to our needs. If not, to hell with them," said Mohammed, a 23-year-old protester who is from Tripoli, in the country's north, and who was present in the Beirut demonstrations. "If anything, the old cabinet that we rallied against is slightly better than this 'one colour' government," he said, using a term to describe the new cabinet backed by Hezbollah and its allies.

Protesters have been calling for sweeping reforms and a government that is led by independent technocrats and that can deal with the crippling economic crisis and widespread corruption. Protesters reject members belonging to the current political elite, which has ruled Lebanon since the end of its civil war in 1990 and is considered responsible for the country's economic crisis. "They're still stealing from us. We don't have electricity, we don't have hospitals, and we are starving to death," Mohammed added. "We're forced to escalate, the revolution is no longer peaceful … we gave them a chance for 30 years."

'They're playing with us'

 Lebanon has been without an effective government since caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri, under pressure from protests against state corruption and mismanagement, resigned in October. The country's newly appointed Prime Minister Hassan Diab pledged on Tuesday that his government "will strive to meet their [the protesters'] demands for an independent judiciary, for the recovery of embezzled funds, [and] for the fight against illegal gains". He also said his cabinet will adopt financial and economic methods different from those of previous governments, amid the country's worst economic crisis in decades. But protesters insist that only a government of independent experts will have what it takes to save the country. Calls to dismantle ruling parties, which include groups that transitioned into politics since the country's civil war, have also been a major demand of the protesters. "It's bullsh*t … they're playing with us. They are the same people with different faces," Stephanie, a 30-year-old protester, said of the new government. "People are here because they have no jobs and they're trying to tell the government that a change if needed. "But nothing is happening ... they're still robbing us, torturing us, [and] treating us like we don't deserve anything good," she said.

The Daily Star BEIRUT: Washington does “not know the answer yet” if it will work with the new Lebanese government, U.S. Secretary …

by National --  Lebanon’s new Prime Minister Hassan Diab formed a government late on Tuesday, 34 days after he was nominated. The former university professor will have to address Lebanon’s worst economic crisis since the end of the civil war in 1990, amid nationwide protests. Mr Diab was intent on forming a government of 18 ministers but caved in at the last minute to political pressure and added two more to his Cabinet. Many had already taken to the streets on Tuesday to reject his government, which they consider to be of “one colour”. That meant it is backed by President Michel Aoun and his allies, including Iran-aligned Hezbollah, and does not include western-supported parties such as former prime minister Saad Hariri’s Future Movement.

The National asked three Lebanon experts for their take on the new government. “The government today is an interesting mix between specialists and others who are affiliated with political parties,” including advisers to former ministers, said Maha Yahya, director of the Carnegie Middle East Centre. Ms Yahya said one name stood out: Foreign Affairs Minister Nassif Hitti, a Maronite Christian and formerly Lebanon’s ambassador to the Arab League. “He is quite highly regarded and a good former diplomat,” she said. This is the first Lebanese Cabinet to include six women, including the first female Defence Minister, Zeina Akar. Ms Akar, a Greek-Orthodox Christian, is also the country's first female Deputy Prime Minister. “Her appointment came out of left field. Nobody saw this coming,” Ms Yahya said. “She has never occupied a public office before.” But she criticised the process of forming the government, which was conducted as usual through back-door negotiations between political parties. “This is just not what protesters were aspiring to so I don’t think it’s going to end well,” Ms Yahya said. She also said the government might not be up to the task of addressing Lebanon’s rapidly deteriorating economic situation. “I cannot underestimate the size of the challenges that the country is facing on economic and fiscal terms, and their repercussions on society, on the standards of living, and in the medium term, on the stability of the country,” Ms Yahya said.

by naharnet.com -- Lebanese activists on Monday launched a social media campaign to express outrage and solidarity with anti-government protesters who lost eyes after being hit by rubber bullets fired by riot police. The activists posted pictures of themselves covering one eye under the Arabic hashtag “Our Revolution Is Your Eyes”. Two protesters reportedly lost an eye each after being hit by rubber bullets in Sunday evening’s demo in central Beirut. In another show of defiance, demonstrators who said they took part in the weekend protests used the Arabic hashtag "The Infiltrator Is Me" and disclosed their full personal details in response to accusations by authorities that “infiltrators” are taking part in the demos. More than 540 people, including protesters and security forces, were wounded in the weekend violence in central Beirut, according to a toll compiled by AFP from figures provided by the Red Cross and Civil Defense.

Lawyers and rights groups have condemned "excessive" and "brutal" use of force by security forces, who they said hit protesters on the head, face and genitals. Human Rights Watch accused riot police of "launching tear gas canisters at protesters' heads, firing rubber bullets in their eyes and attacking people at hospitals and a mosque." The violence also drew condemnation from the United Nations, which called the crackdown "unacceptable." A 22-year-old protester, who asked not to be named for security reasons, said he was severely beaten by security forces until he was bleeding in the head. "Four of them were beating me with batons," said the man, who has been in the hospital since Saturday. "Then they dragged me on the ground before they started kicking me," he told AFP. "One of them slammed the base of a tear gas launcher against my mouth, another jabbed my face."