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Lebanon PM threatens resignation as protests continue Lebanon rubbish protest shelved as crisis deepens
(about 2 hours later)
A third day of protests is planned in Lebanon where anti-government protesters have clashed with police over the failure to remove uncollected rubbish from the streets. Organisers of protests over the failure of Lebanon's government to clear rubbish from the streets of Beirut have postponed a rally planned for Monday.
Prime Minister Tammam Salam threatened to resign as thousands demonstrated for a second day in Beirut on Sunday. But the "You Stink" campaign said the decision did not mean it was finished.
Police used water cannon and tear gas to try to disperse the crowds and dozens were injured. The move comes after two days of demonstrations in the capital descended into clashes in which dozens of protesters and police were hurt.
Lebanon does not have a president and parliament remains in a stalemate. Prime Minister Tammam Salam has appealed for calm and threatened to resign over the crisis.
Mr Salam's unity government has been accused of being hamstrung by sectarian rivalries exacerbated by the conflict in neighbouring Syria. In a televised address on Sunday, he warned that Lebanon was heading towards collapse, with the country's "political garbage" crippling his unity cabinet.
Unrest has been building because of the government's failure to clear up rubbish piled on the streets of Beirut since the country's biggest landfill closed last month. 'We will not give up'
They blame political paralysis and corruption for the failure to resolve the crisis. Thousands of people gathered outside the prime minister's office in central Beirut on Sunday to protest against the government's inability to remove the large piles of rubbish which have been building up in the capital for weeks.
On Sunday, protesters threw rocks and sticks at police and lit fires. Chanting "the people want the downfall of the regime", some protesters threw rocks and sticks at riot police and lit fires. Officers responded by firing water cannon and tear gas.
Samer Abdullah, a 39-year-old activist, told Reuters: "People went out because they don't have power or electricity. The clashes left at least 44 demonstrators and 30 police officers injured, officials said. Dozens of people were also injured on Saturday, when police fired rubber bullets.
"They have a million problems, and the garbage problem is the tipping point." On Monday, the campaign announced that the demonstration planned for Monday evening had been postponed.
"I warn that we are going towards collapse if matters continue," Mr Salam said in a televised address. "The movement has not and will not stop," a statement on its Facebook page said. "Postponing from today to another date this week is not a retreat. We need to reassess and organise our demands."
You Stink leader Hassan Shams earlier blamed "infiltrators" for the violence over the weekend. "We started peacefully, and we will continue peacefully," he told New TV.
The protests have been largely co-ordinated by You Stink, which was formed when rubbish began piling up on the streets of Beirut and neighbouring areas after the country's largest landfill was closed last month, with no ready alternative.
Activists blame political paralysis and corruption for the failure to resolve the crisis.
Fouad al-Hassan, a 65-year-old actor, told the New York Times that he had decided to attend Sunday's rally because he wanted to "change the system". "We want new blood or the country will stay the same," he added.
Lebanon has been without a president for more than a year, while members of parliament have extended their own terms until 2017 after failing to agree on a law to govern fresh elections.
The conflict in neighbouring Syria has also exacerbated political and sectarian divisions, and resulted in the arrival of 1.1 million refugees, putting a strain on the economy and public services.
Mr Salam said that if a cabinet meeting scheduled for Thursday was not productive on several issues, including the rubbish crisis, "there would be no necessity for the government after it".
"I warn that we are going towards collapse if matters continue," he added.
"Frankly, I have not and will not be a partner in this collapse. Let all officials and political forces bear their responsibilities.""Frankly, I have not and will not be a partner in this collapse. Let all officials and political forces bear their responsibilities."
If Mr Salam were to resign it could trigger a constitutional crisis because in Lebanon the prime minister is appointed by the president, but the presidency has been vacant for over a year. The prime minister also warned that the government, which brings together all the main Lebanese parties, would be unable to pay civil servants' salaries next month and risked being classified a "failing state".
Replacing the president requires a deal many say can only be brokered by Iran and Saudi Arabia. If Mr Salam were to resign it could trigger a constitutional crisis because his replacement has to be appointed by the president.
Mr Salam said that if a cabinet meeting later in the week failed to resolve the waste issue, Lebanon's heavily-indebted government was in any case likely to collapse.
He had already warned that the heavily indebted government would be unable to pay salaries next month.
He also said Lebanon's inability to service the public debt through bond sales could result in the country's credit rating falling down to the ranks of the "failed states".