Lebanon has declared Friday a national day of mourning after deadly clashes in Beirut killed at least six people and injured dozens more.
During a protest by Shia Muslim groups against the judge probing last year’s massive blast at the city’s port, gunfire erupted.
Gunmen on roofs shot on demonstrators, according to Hezbollah, which organized the rally.
They blamed a Christian organization, which disputes the allegations.
The investigation into the port explosion in August 2020, which killed 219 people, is tense.
The blast leveled large swaths of the city, yet no one has yet been held accountable.
Hundreds of people protested outside the Palace of Justice, the main court building, claiming that the probe had become politicized and demanding the expulsion of Judge Tarek Bitar.
As men armed with automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenade launchers – suspected to be members of Shia and Christian militias – exchanged fire in the streets, local residents were forced to abandon their homes and youngsters ducked for shelter under their desks.
The fights lasted several hours before the situation was resolved.
