Retired soldiers in Lebanon managed to storm the neighborhood of the parliament at Nejmeh Square in protest against one of the budget items related to their financial compensation.
According to the information, security forces stationed in the area of the House of Representatives, where the budget for 2022 is being discussed, tried to prevent the advance of old soldiers, but a large influx of protesters led to the bypass of security measures there. The retired soldiers were able to come within very close range of the parliament gates amid skirmishes that took place between them and a number of military elements tasked with guarding the parliament. It should be noted that this incursion is the first of its kind to take place in the parliament area since the start of the October 17 Intifada in 2019.
Over the past 3 years, at the height of the protests in Beirut, the protesters could not approach Nejmeh Square because of the defensive structures located there.