Over the weekend, anti-government protests in Beirut, Lebanon, turned violent for two nights, as demonstrators clashed with riot police near government offices. Organizers of the #YouStink campaign expressed frustration with the violent protesters, blaming “infiltrators” for the escalation of a peaceful demonstration. The #YouStink protesters are angry with the Lebanese government, accusing it of weakness and ineffectiveness during a time of need—citing the current crisis over uncollected garbage as a symbol of governmental failures. Dozens of police and citizens were hurt in the clashes, and #YouStink organizers have now postponed further demonstrations planned for Monday.
Lebanon’s #YouStink Anti-Government Protests
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Read moreLebanese activists hold up a makeshift shield as they are sprayed by riot police using water cannons during a protest against the Lebanese government and an ongoing trash crisis in downtown Beirut, Lebanon, on August 23, 2015. #
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Read morePiles of garbage block a street in east Beirut, Lebanon, on August 17, 2015. Health Minister Wael Abu Faour said Monday that the country is on the brink of a “major health disaster” unless an immediate solution is found for the country’s trash. Garbage has been collecting on streets in Lebanon for the past month amid government paralysis and inability to agree on a solution after Beirut’s main landfill was closed down. #
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Read moreLebanese riot policemen clash with protesters during a protest against corruption and rubbish collection problems near the government palace in Beirut on August 22, 2015. #
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Read moreLebanese protesters are sprayed with water during a protest near the government palace in Beirut on August 22, 2015. #
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Read moreA Lebanese protester gestures during a demonstration organized by the #YouStink campaign in the capital city of Beirut on August 22, 2015. #
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Read moreLebanese protesters gesture during a demonstration organized by the #YouStink campaign in Beirut on August 22, 2015. #
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Read moreLebanese security forces fire tear-gas canisters towards protesters during clashes following a demonstration in Beirut on August 22, 2015. #
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Read moreLebanese demonstrators carry an injured man following clashes with security forces in Beirut on August 22, 2015. #
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Read moreA man displays his wounds during a protest near the government palace in Beirut on August 22, 2015. #
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Read moreLebanese protesters wave the national flag during a demonstration organized by the #YouStink campaign to protest against the government and the ongoing trash crisis on August 23, 2015, in Beirut. #
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Read moreLebanese activists clash with policemen as they try to cross to the government palace during a protest in downtown Beirut on August 23, 2015. Lebanese Prime Minister Tammam Salam hinted Sunday he might resign after violent protests against government corruption and political dysfunction, triggered by a month-long trash crisis in Beirut. Salam also pledged that security forces that used violence against demonstrators would be held accountable. #
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Read moreLebanese protesters are sprayed with water during a protest against corruption and against the government’s failure to resolve a crisis over rubbish disposal, near the government palace in Beirut on August 23, 2015. #
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Read moreLebanese activists shout anti-government slogans as they are sprayed by riot police using water cannons in Beirut on August 23, 2015. #
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Read moreLebanese activists shout anti-government slogans as they are sprayed by riot police in Beirut on August 23, 2015. #
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Read moreA Lebanese protester receives first aid after clashes on August 23, 2015, in Beirut. #
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Read moreLebanese riot policemen stand guard during a protest in Beirut on August 23, 2015. #
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Read moreProtesters start a fire during a protest near the government palace in Beirut on August 23, 2015. #
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Read moreProtesters clash with policemen in Beirut on August 23, 2015. #
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Read moreLebanese protesters carry an injured girl during clashes with riot police on August 23, 2015. #
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Read moreLebanese activists shout anti-government slogans as they are sprayed by riot police using water cannons in downtown Beirut on August 23, 2015. #
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Read moreA Lebanese anti-government protester lies on the ground after he was beaten by the riot policemen standing around him, during a protest in Beirut on August 23, 2015. #
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Read moreA Lebanese activist kicks a tear-gas canister during a protest in Beirut on August 23, 2015. #
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Read moreA police motorcycle burns as Lebanese protesters are sprayed by riot police using water cannons on August 23, 2015. #
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Read moreLebanese activists clash with riot police in downtown Beirut on August 23, 2015. #
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Read moreRiot police clash with protesters near the government palace in Beirut on August 23, 2015. #
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Read moreA member of the Lebanese red cross checks on a protester injured during clashes with riot police following a demonstration on August 23, 2015, in Beirut. #
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Read moreA police motorcycle burns as Lebanese activists protest in downtown Beirut on August 23, 2015. #
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Read moreSoldiers patrol the streets of Beirut on August 23, 2015, as protesters demanded that Lebanese government leaders resign. #
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Read moreSoldiers patrol the streets in Beirut on August 23, 2015. #
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Read moreWaste-management workers collect a pile of garbage near government buildings on August 24, 2015, a day after violent protests in downtown Beirut. #
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