Security forces fire tear gas at anti-government protesters in Beirut

Riot police clash with anti-government protesters in Beirut.
(Image credit: AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Anti-government protesters took to the streets of Beirut on Thursday night, demanding that top officials resign in the wake of Tuesday's massive explosion in the city, which left at least 145 people dead and 5,000 injured.

Several dozen protesters gathered in downtown Beirut, starting small fires and throwing stones at riot police, who in turn fired tear gas, BBC News reports. The demonstrators say government negligence caused the explosion, and people need to be held accountable.

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Two government officials have resigned since Wednesday: Marwan Hamade, a member of parliament, and Tracy Chamoun, the ambassador to Jordan. An investigation into the blast is now underway, and Lebanese state media said 16 people have been detained.

Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.