Tear gas, clashes as retirees try to storm Grand Serail ahead of cabinet session

Security forces Tuesday fired tear gas to disperse hundreds of protesters, including retired soldiers, who tried to break through the fence leading to the government headquarters in downtown Beirut, ahead of a cabinet session.

The protesters hurled stones at the armed forces protecting the government headquarters and repeatedly tried to break through the fence, while some of them suffered breathing problems from the tear gas.

Cabinet will discuss today, Tuesday, nine items on its agenda, most notably increasing the salaries and transport allowances of the public and private sectors and the funding needed for the municipal elections.

Public sector employees and retirees get paid in Lebanese pounds and have seen the value of their salaries drop over the past years as the pound crashed, while most grocery stores, restaurants and other businesses are pricing their goods and services in dollars.