Conflicts and tear gas are used as demonstrators in Lebanon attempt to attack the government building.

Lebanon's security forces fired tear gas on Wednesday to disperse hundreds of protesters, mainly retired soldiers, who tried to break through the fence leading to the government headquarters in downtown Beirut. The protesters were demanding better pay and were clashing with riot police and troops. The violence came amid widespread anger over the harsh economic conditions in the country, where mismanagement by the ruling class has been rampant for years. The Lebanese pound hit a new low on Tuesday, selling for 143,000 pounds to the dollar before making some gains. Three-quarters of the population, including 1 million Syrian refugees, now lives in poverty and inflation is soaring.

Lebanon is at the grips of the worst economic and financial crisis in its modern history, rooted in decades of corruption and mismanagement by a political class that has ruled the country since the end of the 1975-90 civil war. The political class has resisted the implementation of reforms demanded by the international community.