The caption goes here. AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE (AFP)

Lebanese protesters attack banks, burn facades with tires

Lebanese protesters attacked several banks in Beirut, Lebanon, on Thursday (February 16) amid a deepening economic crisis. The people expressed their outcry after Lebanon banks imposed strict restrictions on withdrawal, barring them from accessing their savings, especially US dollars. The trading of a pound is about 80,000 to the greenback on the black market versus 60,000 at the start of the month. According to Agence France-Presse, around 50 protesters crashed through four banks in central Beirut and burned the facades with car tires. "They stole, seized, and looted our money three years ago," said Pascal Al-Raisi, a protester. "There is no other solution. We will escalate until we regain our rights," he asserted. Similar attacks have been carried out in recent months to get access to their savings from banks, which have repeatedly closed. Recently, the Association of Banks in Lebanon announced an open-ended strike, claiming the crisis has affected the entire financial system. According to the United Nations, the economic crisis has triggered price hikes in goods and other necessities in the country, which led to a higher poverty rate reaching 80 percent. A temporary ad hoc government has been administering Lebanon since the country has no president after legislatures failed to nominate a successor to Michel Aoun, whose term ended last October 2022. RZSP/Expat Media
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