The record low that the Lebanese pound hit on Tuesday sparked angry protests across Lebanon, with some Lebanese opting to unleash their anger on money changers, forcing them to shut their doors in various areas.
After the Lebanese pound started trading at an unprecedented LBP 10,000 per $1, protesters in Chtoura Square in the Beqaa Valley forced several money exchange offices to close.
A Lebanese Army force immediately deployed in the area to prevent an escalation.
Similarly, on Wednesday morning, protesters shut several money exchange offices in the Al-Tal neighborhood in Tripoli, forming demonstrations in front of them.
The Tripoli protesters accused money changers of “conspiring against the national currency” as they demanded that they close their offices, the National News Agency reported.
Around that time, people in different parts of the country had utilized burning tires and various objects to block roads and highways, including the highways of Jbeil, Palma, and Zouk Mikail, and the Sinaa Bridge near Ghaziyeh.
The Wednesday protests followed a heated night that involved more blocked roads as thousands of citizens took to the streets against a backdrop of deteriorating living conditions.
The popular upheaval comes amid a continued political deadlock that is holding back the formation of a government that can enact the reforms to grant Lebanon international support and unlock the door to economic recovery.
