27 Jan 2020; MEMO: Lebanese protesters gathered yesterday to air their rejection of the newly formed government of Prime Minister of Hassan Diab.
An-Nahar newspaper said the protesters accused the new government of being “a Syrian and Iranian government”.
The Lebanese Internal Security Forces said on Twitter that “riots and attacks on members of the security forces began, so we ask the peaceful protesters to leave Riyad el-Solh Square to preserve their safety.”
Protesters removed the barbed wire erected in front of the government building.
Diab, who recently accepted his role following the resignation of former Saad Hariri, now leads a government consisting of six female ministers, including the new Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Zeina Akar Adra.
The new Lebanese government is set to face a myriad of challenges to correct the shortcomings of the previous administration. Among those challenges are winning the confidence of the Lebanese people, keeping peace between the numerous factions in the diverse Lebanese society, ridding the political system of corruption, improving the economic situation, and achieving the demands of protestors.
