Embattled Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri announced his resignation Tuesday after two weeks of unprecedented anti-government protests demanding political reform.
In a televised address, the prime minister said the protests prompted him to submit his resignation to President Michel Aoun, saying he had “reached a dead end.”
His resignation came two weeks after people launched a largely peaceful protest movement, demanding an overhaul of the political class considered corrupt and incompetent.
Earlier in the day, counter-demonstrators armed with sticks attacked the main protest site in central Beirut, setting many tents on fire and tearing down others.
The counter-protestors, believed to be Hezbollah supporters, started fighting with protestors who were blocking roads in the capital.
The attack forced security forces to deploy to the protest site to contain the violence
The protests have paralyzed the country, forcing the closure of schools and banks.