Tear gas, clashes as Lebanon protesters try to storm govt HQ

By BASSEM MROUE
Associated Press

BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanese security forces are firing tear gas to disperse hundreds of protesters who tried to break through a fence leading to the government headquarters in downtown Beirut. The protest Wednesday comes amid widespread anger over the harsh economic conditions in the country. The majority of those in the clashes are retired army soldiers demanding better pay, and riot police and troops on the other side. Several people suffered breathing problems from the tear gas. Lebanon is in the grips of the worst economic and financial crisis in its modern history, rooted in decades of corruption and mismanagement by the political class.