3 months since the revolution: blocked roads, marches, and students protests
- On the 93rd day, protesters blocked roads across the country including in Halba, Menieh, Tripoli, Jounieh, Taalbayya, Zahle, Dora, Jiyye, Mansourieh, and Beirut.
- A demonstration in front of Beirut’s Nejmeh Square denounced Hassan Diab’s expected government. Protesters demonstrated on the Ring bridge as well as outside the Central Bank and in Saifi. Tripoli demonstrators gathered in front of the Serail demanding the resignation of the North governor, and protesters in Baalbeck gathered in front of the Central Bank, denouncing its policies. Bank policies were also the target of a student march in Bar Elias, as students continued participating in protests across the country.
Doctors take to the streets again, warn of hospital crisis
- Due to dollar shortage, import of necessary medical equipment dropped drastically since the start of the economic crisis, a representative of the Medical Supplies and Importers Syndicate told LBCI Thursday night. She warned of forthcoming shortages in hospitals, anticipating consequences for patients.
- Doctors and hospital workers took to the streets during the day to “sound the alarm” on what they considered a public health crisis. They marched from Hotel Dieu de France Hospital to the Ring bridge. Other doctors held a sit—in at St. George Hospital in Ashrafieh.
UK Treasury designates Hezbollah’s political wing as terror group
- The United Kingdom’s treasury extended the terror group label to the entire Hezbollah organization, after having previously limited it to the group’s military wing.
- As a consequence, all of Hezbollah’s assets in Britain will be frozen under the UK’s Terrorism and Terrorist Financing groups. “Hezbollah itself has publicly denied a distinction between its military and political wings,” the Treasury said.
- Hezbollah has yet to comment on the decision.
Grab on Lebanese bank deposits “possible", Fitch tells Reuters
- 3 top analyst at the international credit rating agency Fitch told Reuters that it is “probable” for Lebanon to default on its debt. A grab on savers’ bank account was “possible,” he added.
- The government is due to repay $2.5 billion in Eurobond debt this year, of which a $1.2 billion bond is due in March.
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