Beirut protests persist after gov't resignation

Hundreds of anti-government protesters took to the streets of Beirut on Tuesday despite the government resigning over the massive blast which devastated the Lebanese capital less than two weeks ago, Anadolu Agency reported.

For many Lebanese, the explosion was the last straw in a protracted crisis since the collapse of the economy last year, coupled with corruption and a dysfunctional government.

A powerful explosion rocked Beirut Port after a neglected stockpile of 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate stored in a warehouse ignited, killing at least 200 people and leaving more than 6,000 injured.

On Monday Prime Minister Hassan Diab’s government resigned in response to mass protests in the country, but demonstrators fear this may only lead to a reshuffle of the same faces in government and no real change in authority. They have called for a complete overhaul of the country’s political system.

READ: Lebanese call for downfall of president, other officials over Beirut blast