Protest outside Beirut’s main landfill against reopening it

Scores of people have protested outside Beirut’s main landfill against plans to reopen it for one week as part of efforts to resolve an escalating political crisis.

Sunday’s protest came hours after municipal officials approved the reopening of the Naameh landfill in accordance with a proposed plan by the minister of agriculture to manage the country’s waste.

The plan calls for opening new landfills and allowing municipalities to manage the portfolio previously handled by the government.

The Naameh landfill was closed on July 17. The protesters said they refuse to open it “even for one hour.”

After the landfill closed, trash piled up in the streets of Beirut, leading to mass demonstrations against the country’s entire political class and its failure to provide basic services.