Protests erupt in Lebanon over government's plan to impose new taxes

Hundreds of demonstrators on Thursday took to streets across Lebanon as a mark of protest over the government's plan to impose new taxes amid deteriorating economic conditions in the country.

The demonstrations began in the country on Thursday evening and continued till Friday morning.

As the protest intensified, the demonstrators clashed with security forces outside the government headquarters in the Lebanese capital, Beirut. Moreover, they barricaded several major roads with burning tires, reported CNN.

Lebanon's Internal Security Forces (ISF), in a tweet, said that as many as forty members of ISF were injured in the clashes, adding that the ISF has called on demonstrators to refrain from chaos and violence.

This came after the government held dialogues on the 2020 budget and proposed new taxes.

Earlier on Thursday, the government had announced that it would charge 20 cents per day for calls via voice over internet protocol (VOIP), a feature used by applications like WhatsApp, Facebook, FaceTime etc.

The cabinet is also expected to announce a series of additional tax hikes in the coming months as part of the budget.