Lebanese stage massive protest against leaders in rare sign of unity

Hundreds of thousands have thronged public squares across Lebanon in the largest protests the country has seen since 2005, unifying an often divided public against leaders who have ruled for

three decades and brought the economy to the brink of disaster. Ditching party flags and carrying only Lebanese flags, they flooded streets in Beirut, the northern city of Tripoli and cities, towns and villages near the southern border with Israel and along the Syrian border in the east. In central Beirut, the scene was reminiscent of the days after prime minister Rafik Hariri was assassinated by a massive bombing in 2005, triggering a mass uprising against Syria’s occupation of Lebanon after Damascus was blamed for the killing.