Hundreds wounded in weekend of Lebanon clashes

Lebanese anti-riot police dispersed stone-throwing protesters with tear gas in Lebanon's capital on Jan. 19, as heavy rain capped a weekend of rare violence that wounded hundreds.

Medics said 145 people were wounded in the latest clashes, taking the casualty toll to more than 530 in two days.

Thick clouds of white tear gas billowed in central Beirut, as police pushed protesters out of a flashpoint road near parliament after hours of clashes before the downpour largely cleared the streets.

Unprecedented protests have rocked the country since Oct. 17, with citizens from all religious backgrounds demanding the ouster of a political class viewed as inept, corrupt and responsible for an ever-deepening economic crisis.

For the second night in a row, dozens of people started lobbing stones at police behind a metal barricade blocking a road to parliament, crying "revolution, revolution."

Anti-riot forces responded with water cannons, rubber bullets and then thick plumes of tear gas that pushed demonstrators back towards the main square, an AFP reporter said.

The Red Cross said more than 145 people were injured, including 45 who needed treatment in hospital.

The state-run National News Agency (NNA) said two journalists were hit by rubber bullets, one a cameraman from local television channel Al-Jadeed.

President Michel Aoun called for a "security meeting" on Jan. 20 with the interior and defence ministers to discuss the crisis, NNA reported.

But a 34-year-old protester called Mazen said he and others had lost hope in politicians.

"After three months of revolution, they have proven to us that they don't change, don't listen, and have nothing to give," he said.    

On Jan. 18, at least 377 people...