Police used tear gas and water cannon on Saturday to disperse thousands of anti-garbage demonstrators in downtown Beirut's Riad al-Solh square and to stop them from moving towards the nearby Nijmeh Square, leaving scores of protesters injured.
The demonstrators said they were adamant to stay in the area and urged all the Lebanese people to join them but anti-riot police opened fire in the air and broke up the protest with baton charges.
The demonstrators later erected tents near Martyrs' Square, vowing to stay there until police release several activists they arrested during the protest.
Following their announcement, security forces said all the detainees were set free based upon the instructions of Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq.
A video shot by a protester on a mobile phone showed police opening fire at the demonstrators, which resulted in the injury of a young man in his waist.
Another man was heard shouting “killer” to a police officer.