An intense clash broke out in Tripoli on Wednesday night in which the ISF shot live bullets directly towards hungry protesters on live television, leading to many injuries.
Amid the chaos of the protests in the northern capital, the sound of heavy gunfire reverberated in a night heavy with threats.
As security forces tried to push back protesters, the ISF issued a warning telling people to leave immediately because it has been left with no choice but to use all legitimate means.
“Legitimate means” as in shooting live bullets…
“After the demonstrators persisted in riots, breaching the main door of the Serail in Tripoli and trying to enter from more than one side, throwing Molotov cocktails at the officers, burning and damaging a number of vehicles, we ask them to withdraw immediately and not enter the Serail for their safety, because we are forced to defend our centers by all legitimate means,” tweeted the ISF.
In another statement, the ISF said that nine of its members were injured due to hand grenades thrown by protesters, stressing that it was not just sound grenades or Molotov cocktails.
Not heeding the warning, protesters who resisted and ran towards the ISF throwing stones were shot down with a spray of live bullets resulting in several injuries. Their revolution square turned into a warzone.
People in Tripoli and other parts of Lebanon are rioting out of desperation, hunger, poverty, all of which have been made worse with the strict COVID-19 lockdown, and lack of government assistance.
In turn, they are being met with intense force and violence from the Lebanese authorities whose job is to protect and serve their citizens.
The public talks are now revolving around a sinister line that “if they don’t die from Covid-19, they will from hunger, and if not from hunger, they will by live bullets from the military.”
