Intelligence chief funeral sparks riot in Beirut

Violence erupted in Beirut after the funeral of a senior Lebanese intelligence official who was killed in an attack that has been blamed on Syria.

Crowds who had gathered to see Wissam al-Hassan buried headed for the office of prime minister Najib Mikati to demand his resignation over the assassination.

Security forces responded with tear-gas and heavy gunfire was reported as they tried to disperse the crowd by firing into the air.

A couple of demonstrators were reported to have been overcome by the tear-gas.

The riots came after a former Lebanese prime minister Fouad al-Siniora said the opposition would not negotiate to resolve the country’s political crisis until the government stepped down.

Both Siniora and the opposition leader Saad Hariri urged the protesters to withdraw and seek the downfall of the government in a peaceful way.

Source: Euronews