Lebanon

Protesters paralyse Beirut

Article published on the 2008-05-07 Latest update 2008-05-09 06:33 TU

Hezbollah supporters pose as tyres burn on a main road to Beirut airport 7 May 2008.
(Photo: Reuters)

Hezbollah-led opposition supporters continued anti-government protests on Thursday, blocking roads in the Lebanese capital and forcing the shutdown of the airport. The clashes broke out during a strike on Wednesday to demand higher salaries for public workers.

Pro-government supporters exchanged rifle and grenade fire with Hezbollah sympathisers in three neighbourhoods, security sources said.

There was no immediate word of casualties but ambulances were seen heading towards the areas.

Hezbollah chief, Hassan Nasrallah, is due to hold a news conference via video link later in the day in response to government measures earlier in the week against his Shia Muslim militant group.

Industrial action was called by the country's largest trade union federation, the CGTL, to demand a minimum wage of 600 dollars a month.

Yesterday the cabinet agreed to a 130-dollar increase to 330 dollars but the CGTL says that's not enough. The minimum wage has not risen since 1996.

The country's long-running political crisis has prevented the election of a new president since last November and economist Charbel Nahas told RFI's French service that unemployment is now over ten per cent, despite massive emigration.

Government supporters accuse the unions of being manipulated by Hezbollah to destabilise the state. The Shia-Muslim-based movement is locked in conflict with the Western-backed government.

"Originally the reason for the protest was inflation and prices which are going really high ," says correspondent Emilie Sueur. "But the protest became very political because the main union is very close to the opposition."