protest in Lebanon
© REUTERS / Mohamed Azakir
The protests are taking place in the run-up to a debate in the parliament on the budget for this year that was proposed by the previous government.

Protests are in full swing in Lebanon's capital Beirut as demonstrators continue to voice their objection to the government recently formed under new Prime Minister Hassan Diab.

Beirut has been engulfed in protests over the poor economic situation and endemic corruption since October 2019. The demonstrations were initially caused by a new tax on calls made using WhatsApp, a measure that the government believed would help tackle the country's high public debt.