The main road linking the heart of Beirut to the airport was blockaded with piles of sand and burned tires while hundreds of rioters roamed around on scooters. Television news channels showed trucks dumping heaps of sand in the roads and protesters setting garbage containers and cars on fire to block traffic.
Lebanese officials have counted on the relatively nonpolitical army to maintain security. Soldiers backed by tanks stood by Wednesday to prevent the clashes from escalating.
A protester who gave only the name Jihad, 25, said he was angered by escalating prices. "This government is not doing anything to help the poor," he said. "They should leave. . . . Today everybody will see what they have never seen before. The roads will stay closed."
Government supporters accused their rivals of throwing stones at them and threatening them. Fliers warning protesters against violence were distributed on the streets.
Most of the Sunni and Shiite parts of Beirut were closed and empty of passersby. Life continued normally in the rest of the country, especially the Christian areas, where people are politically divided between supporters of the government and the opposition.
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daragahi@latimes.com
Rafei is a special correspondent and Daragahi a Times staff writer.
