Protests escalate amid the ruins of Beirut

After the Lebanese parliament handed the army emergency powers, it looks like security forces are starting to use them in the face of ongoing violent protests.

A two-week state of emergency was declared on August 5, one day after the devastating blast in Beirut. It was announced with the aim of protecting national security, however rights groups are accusing the government of trying to control dissent. The emergency powers allow the military to shut down assembly points, prohibit gatherings, and give them permission to enter homes and arrest anyone deemed a security threat.

The Lebanese Army, Internal Security Forces, and armed plain-clothes officers have been witnessed using what some have deemed excessive force on protesters. Meanwhile, demonstrators set a police barricade on fire, hurled objects at officers, and ignited fireworks.

Subscribe to RT! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpwvZwUam-URkxB7g4USKpg?sub_confirmation=1

RT LIVE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFAcqaNzNSc

Check out http://rt.com

Like us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/RTnews Follow us on VK https://vk.com/rt_international Follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/RT_com Follow us on Instagram http://instagram.com/rt Follow us on Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/rttv

#RT (Russia Today) is a global #news network broadcasting from Moscow, London, Paris and Washington studios to over 100 countries. RT is the first news channel to break the 1 billion YouTube views benchmark.