Retired military personnel blocked the main roads in front of the Ministry of Finance, the port of Beirut and Bechara el-Khoury on Tuesday morning. These simultaneous protests come in reaction to the 2024 Budget vote, which failed to answer the calls of these former civil servants, outraged at the lack of consideration shown by the state that they served.
Retired Soldiers Demand a Decent Life
Retired military personnel invaded several key entrances to #Beirut on Tuesday morning, including the Port of Beirut and the #VAT building near the #Adlieh traffic circle to protest against the government “not respecting their most basic… pic.twitter.com/SyH4CtyBXl
— This is Beirut (@ThisIsBeirut_) February 6, 2024
At a time of political, economic and financial crises that have been ongoing since 2019, their mobilization aims to demand “corrections to their retirement pensions so that they can lead a decent and dignified life.”
Retired military personnel, accompanied by retirees from the various security services, as well as public administrations and the Ministry of Education, blocked the road adjacent to the port of Beirut in direction of the Forum, causing major traffic jams.
Also mobilized in Tripoli (north of the country), they burned tires in front of the Banque du Liban. Sit-ins were also organized at the Al-Nour traffic circle and on the Palma freeway, blocking traffic on the southern road leading to Beirut.
The demonstration coincided with a strike by the Lebanese public administration, which began on Tuesday, January 30 and will continue until February 9.
