⁍ French President Emmanuel Macron toured Beirut’s shattered streets on Thursday, two days after a giant explosion.
⁍ Crowds demanded the end to a ‘regime’ of politicians they blame for corruption and dragging Lebanon into disaster.
⁍ Macron, wearing a black tie in mourning and flanked by security guards, promised to send more medical and other aid to Lebanon.
– “Mr President, you’re on General Gouraud Street, he freed us from the Ottomans. Free us from the current authorities,” yelled a crowd in Beirut Thursday as French President Emmanuel Macron arrived for his first visit to the country since a massive explosion killed 145 and injured more than 5,000 on Tuesday. Macron, who visited a pharmacy damaged in the blast, said he “understands your anger” but “I am not here to write a blank cheque … to the regime,” reports Reuters. He promised to send more medical and other aid and said the blast “should be the start of a new era” for Lebanon, which is in the midst of a severe economic crisis.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-lebanon-security-blast-macron-tour/revolution-angry-crowds-in-beirut-urge-macron-to-help-bring-change-idUSKCN2521QJ