At least 15 anti garbage Lebanese protesters were injured on Saturday when clashes erupted in the capital city of Beirut between riot police and protesters demanding the government's resignation over country's garbage crisis.
The clashes broke out when thousands of protesters - under You Stink campaign - rallied to protest government's failure to find a solution for the uncollected garbage in the streets of Beirut for weeks, reported BBC News.
Riot police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse protesters and to prevent them from marching towards the country's Parliament House, according to Xinhua.
"When they started to fire water cannons and tear gas at us, I ran to the back and got a stone, ran to the front and threw it at an officer. They were assaulting us very aggressively," a young protester, who admitted to throwing stone in self defence, told Daily Star Lebanon.
The #YouStink hashtag immediately started trending in wake of anti-trash protests in downtown Beirut. The Lebanese capital has been facing a severe garbage problem, as rubbish is piling on streets after its main landfill site closed last month.
International rights groups condemned the use of police force over peaceful protest in Lebanese capital.
"Violence has no role in responding to peaceful assembly and basic social demands. Lebanese authorities should respect the protesters' rights and listen to their demands for a sustainable solution to the garbage crisis," Human Right Watch's Nadim Houry said in a statement.
