| schema:articleBody
| - Lebanon's prime minister resigned on Monday in the wake of a massive explosion that devastated the capital Beirut and reignited angry anti-government protests over a spiralling economic crisis. Here is a recap of key developments since mass protests broke out in October 2019: October 17: protests break out, sparked by a government announcement of a planned tax on messaging applications, including WhatsApp. With the economy already in crisis, many see the tax as the last straw and thousands flood the streets in Beirut and other cities, some chanting "the people demand the fall of the regime". The government of Saad Hariri scraps the tax, but the unrest turns into a nationwide revolt involving hundreds of thousands of people, cutting across sectarian lines, against the perceived ineptitude and corruption of the ruling class. October 29: Hariri's government resigns, prompting celebrations in the streets. December 11: at a Paris conference, France, the United States and other countries rebuff an urgent aid appeal from Lebanon, making assistance conditional on the formation of a new reform-minded government. The economic crisis worsens with mass layoffs, drastic banking restrictions and a strong depreciation of the Lebanese pound. December 19: President Michel Aoun names little-known academic Hassan Diab, who is backed by powerful Shiite movement Hezbollah, as premier. Protesters regroup to condemn the appointment and turn violent in January with clashes between demonstrators and security forces leaving hundreds wounded. January 21: the Diab government is unveiled, made up of a single political camp, the pro-Iranian Hezbollah and its allies, who have a parliamentary majority. Demonstrators respond by torching tyres and blocking several roads in mainly Sunni towns across the country. February 11: parliament votes its confidence in the new line-up. Hundreds of protesters try to block the session. Clashes leave more than 370 injured. March 7: Lebanon, whose debt burden is equivalent to nearly 170 percent of its gross domestic product, says it will default on a $1.2-billion Eurobond. Later that month it says it will discontinue payments on all dollar-denominated Eurobonds. April 30: after three nights of violent clashes in second city Tripoli, Diab says Lebanon will seek help from the International Monetary Fund. Talks start on May 13. On June 11, new protests erupt after the Lebanese pound hits a new low on the black market. The currency plunge goes alongside the closure of shops and massive layoffs due to measures to contain the novel coronavirus. June 29: the director general of the finance ministry involved in the negotiations with the IMF resigns, citing deep disagreements over the management of the crisis. In July, the IMF warns of the high cost of holding up reforms. August 3: the government begins to unravel with foreign minister Nassif Hitti resigning. August 4: a massive explosion at Beirut's port devastates entire city neighbourhoods, killing at least 160 people, injuring 6,000 and leaving hundreds of thousands homeless. The government says the blast appears to have been caused by a fire igniting 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate left unsecured in a warehouse for six years. The blast reignites calls to oust the political elite, accused of gross negligence that led to the explosion. New protests are held under the slogan "Hang them by the gallows". Thousands of furious protesters fill central Beirut on Saturday, clashing with security forces deployed in force who lobbed tear gas and fired rubber bullets at demonstrators. A group of protesters led by retired army officers briefly take over the foreign ministry, declaring it the "headquarters of the revolution". Protests and clashes between demonstrators and security forces continue in the following days. A string of ministers and MPs resign. August 10: Diab announces the government's resignation after just over seven months in power. bur-sw/hkb
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)
![[cxml]](/fct/images/cxml_doc.png)
![[csv]](/fct/images/csv_doc.png)
![[text]](/fct/images/ntriples_doc.png)
![[turtle]](/fct/images/n3turtle_doc.png)
![[ld+json]](/fct/images/jsonld_doc.png)
![[rdf+json]](/fct/images/json_doc.png)
![[rdf+xml]](/fct/images/xml_doc.png)
![[atom+xml]](/fct/images/atom_doc.png)
![[html]](/fct/images/html_doc.png)