Protesters block Bank of Lebanon entrance, prevent staff from entering building

Protesters blocked the entrance of a branch of the Bank of Lebanon in Tripoli on Thursday, and prevented staff members from entering the building.

The move came amid continued disruption on the twenty-second day of protests across Lebanon.

In Akkar in north Lebanon, students staged a sit-down outside of their high schools, reported Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA). Students also protested elsewhere in the country, including in Batroun.

On Wednesday, students had protested in front of the Ministry of Education in Beirut, giving renewed momentum to the protests during their third week.

In government, the speaker of parliament and leader of the Amal political party Nabih Berri reportedly met with Salim Sfeir, the Head of the Lebanese Banks Association, according to the NNA. Lebanon's banks have suffered during the crisis, with many remaining closed.

Ratings agency Fitch further downgraded on Wednesday one of Lebanon's largest lenders, Byblos Bank, due to its substantial exposure to the country’s central bank.

Berri, alongside his ally Hezbollah's Hassan Nasrallah, have criticized the protests and refused to resign. President Michel Aoun last week called for a non-sectarian government, but demonstrators continue to call for the resignation of the entire cabinet after Prime Minister Saad Hariri's resignation.