Lebanese army uses tear gas on veterans protesting pension cuts
BEIRUT: Protests by veterans on Thursday over pension cuts escalated into clashes with Lebanese troops, including a commando regiment, near Grand Serail, the prime minister’s official residence.
When demonstrators tried to break through the fence at government headquarters, the military used tear gas, sparking a riot that left two soldiers injured.
Approximately 2,000 military veterans gathered in Riyadh al-Sol Square in downtown Beirut to try to prevent a cabinet meeting to approve the Budget Law for State Administration, which affects pensions.
Gen. George Nader, a retired brigadier general, said there was “no time limit” to the protests and that they would last as long as necessary without exceeding the quorum needed for a Cabinet meeting.
Some ministers began arriving at the meeting before 7 a.m. to avoid demonstrators. Interior Minister Bassam Malawi sought protection from security forces, but another minister arrived unnoticed on a courier’s motorbike. Veterans managed to surround the Minister of Communications to prevent him from reaching Grand Serail, but other soldiers took a less conspicuous route.
After more than an hour’s delay, the Cabinet managed to convene, much to the anger of demonstrators. Tensions escalated between security forces and demonstrators waving Lebanese flags, military flags and placards detailing their demands. Some people set fire to tires in the square, while others tried to break through the barbed wire gate. Some managed to pass through and continue towards the Grand Serrere.
Nader, who attended the protest, said of the politicians: “We are dealing with individuals who lack even the slightest bit of responsibility. We acquire rights only by force, and the first to feel pain loses. You can’t lose.”
Another retiree said: “They are insulting our dignity. They want to humiliate us. My pension is not more than the equivalent of $100. How will I and my family live on this amount? Can they go? They have no conscience and no honor.”
A fellow demonstrator added: “I have served my country for more than 25 years, but what has been the result? They do not listen to our pain and do not look at the humiliation that we are experiencing. are all liars. Why are we facing so many troops? Send them to the South, where we need more.”
Veterans say the 2024 budget approved by Congress in late January is unfair to them. Lebanon has been in a long-term economic crisis, and the currency has lost about 95% of its value, so the maximum pension amount is barely the equivalent of $200, far short of the amount needed to cover most pensions. It is said that it is not as good as . Don’t worry about basic household expenses, food, medicine, and other necessities.
Financial incentives provided by the state to civil servants during the economic crisis will be further eroded by the currency collapse and high inflation, as well as increased taxes and other costs in the latest budget. .
Veterans argue that they should be given special status compared to other civil servants and receive better pension increases so that they can maintain a minimum standard of living. They argue that military service cannot be compared to service in the private sector.
Prime Minister Najib Mikati said he was aware of “the current situation of retirees and the social situation.”
He added: “We are looking to allocate available funds to the public sector, active military and veterans. However, this was not originally on the Cabinet agenda and is subject to spending caps that cannot be exceeded. I’m tied up.
“Within this cap, some Ministers have asked us to consider the possibility of achieving greater equity in the required allocation. Therefore, we will hold an extraordinary meeting next Saturday to specifically discuss this issue. A meeting will be held.”
Meanwhile, the cabinet appointed General Hassan Oudeh as the new chief of staff of the army and promoted him to the rank of major general. He will replace General Joseph Aoun, whose term has ended.
“This is an extremely important issue in the current situation that Lebanon is experiencing,” Mikati said.
Israeli warplanes flew over Beirut on Thursday and then to the city of Hermel in the northern Bekaa Valley. On the southern front along the Lebanon-Israel border, Israeli military operations targeting border villages and towns continued to escalate.
Hezbollah announced that it had attacked Israel’s Branit Barracks with missiles and also targeted “the headquarters of the 769th Eastern Brigade, 91st Galilee Division in the Kiryat Shmona Barracks.” The group later announced that it had hit a “radar site located in Shebaa Farms, occupied Lebanon.”
An Israeli military radio station reported that “one officer and two soldiers were injured in the targeting of Kiryat Shmona barracks by Hezbollah.”