A sit-in by journalists was held in front of the Interior Ministry in Beirut, Lebanon, on Jan. 16, 2020, to protest the attacks by security forces on the press covering the protests a day before. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)
Lebanese caretaker interior minister denies ordering security forces to use force against the protesters and journalists.
BEIRUT, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese caretaker Interior Minister Raya El Hassan on Thursday denied ordering security forces to use force against the protesters and journalists.
A sit-in by journalists was held in front of the Interior Ministry in Beirut, Lebanon, on Jan. 16, 2020, to protest the attacks by security forces on the press covering the protests a day before. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)
"Security forces resorted to the use of force because they were exhausted after staying in the streets for the past three months," she told the journalists staging a sit-in near the Interior Ministry to protest the attacks against media workers covering the protests.
A sit-in by journalists was held in front of the Interior Ministry in Beirut, Lebanon, on Jan. 16, 2020, to protest the attacks by security forces on the press covering the protests a day before. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)
At the same time, Hassan said that army members and security forces had been humiliated and beaten during the protests, which have continued since last October.
A sit-in by journalists was held in front of the Interior Ministry in Beirut, Lebanon, on Jan. 16, 2020, to protest the attacks by security forces on the press covering the protests a day before. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)
Some photographers and reporters were attacked by security forces on Tuesday and Wednesday while covering the protests in Beirut. ■
