Lebanese army urges protesters to open roads after PM Hariri resignation

Lebanese soldiers and security officials urged protesters to open the blocked roads on Wednesday so life could return to normal, after 13 days of demonstrations forced the prime minister to resign.

Troops cleared one major route north of Beirut after briefly scuffling with demonstrators in the morning, Reuters reported. Protesters reportedly agreed to open ‘Ring Bridge’ in central Beirut.

Saad al-Hariri resigned as Lebanon’s prime minister on Tuesday, toppling his coalition government. He said he had failed to resolve the crisis unleashed by the huge protests against the ruling elite.

Hariri made his resignation speech after a crowd loyal to the Shiite Muslim Hezbollah and Amal movements attacked and destroyed a camp in central Beirut. The departure of Hariri, who has been traditionally backed by the West and Sunni Gulf Arab allies, pushes Lebanon into unpredictable political territory, Reuters said.