Lebanon: Depositors protest by burning tires in front of banks in Tripoli

BEIRUT, LEBANON - FEBRUARY 16: Depositors, who could not withdraw the money in their accounts frozen by the state in Lebanon, set fire in front of some private banks in Tripoli on Thursday (Feb. 16). The action was organized by the Depositors Outcry which is a lobby representing depositors with money stuck in the banking sector, according to the local media. Also in the capital Beirut, the members of the group gathered in front of at least six banks in the Badaro District. They set fire in front of the banks, threw stones and smashed the windows of some branch offices. The Beirut Fire Department reported that the fires were extinguished quickly and the flames did not spread to the inside of the branches. Since 2019, Lebanon has been plagued by a crippling economic crisis that, according to the World Bank, is one of the worst the world has seen in modern times. According to experts, 80% of Lebanon's population lives below the poverty line as prices for basic goods have increased by nearly 1,200%. (Footage by Ahmed Said/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)