Lebanon retirees scuffle with police; banks partially reopen

By KAREEM CHEHAYEB and BASSEM MROUE
Associated Press

BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanese army retirees have scuffled with parliamentary guard troops as they briefly broke through a cordon leading to Parliament in downtown Beirut. They were protesting their decimated pay amid the country’s economic meltdown. Riot police pushed the crowd back and fired teargas, forcing the men to turn away. Also on Monday, banks partially reopened following a weeklong closure amid a wave of heists and protests. Anxious Lebanese huddled around ATM machines, truing to withdraw cash. In 2019, the banks imposed strict limits on withdrawals, tying up the savings of millions of people. Lebanon’s crisis has since plunged three-quarters of the population into poverty, while the Lebanese pound lost 90% of its value against the dollar.