BEIRUT, July 16 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of retired military veterans demonstrated on Tuesday in protest against the government's 2019 budget which includes cuts in veterans' end-of-service benefits, the National News Agency reported.
Veterans gathered in Beirut's downtown in an attempt to stop lawmakers from attending a parliament session aimed at discussing the budget, prompting hundreds of security personnel to block the roads leading to the parliament.
Maroun Khreish, head of National Veterans Organization, called upon the members of the parliament who are also military men to protect the rights of retired military veterans.
Lebanon's parliament is currently discussing the 2019 budget which includes austerity measures to reduce the budget deficit.
Retired military personnel have on many occasions criticized the 2019 budget because it aims at filling the budget deficit by taking money from the poor rather than by stopping the waste and theft of public funds.
The 2019 budget is expected to be approved during this week.
