Lebanese army veterans set fire to tires and blocked key roads in central Beirut and the northern city of Tripoli on Wednesday, paralyzing traffic and forcing parliament to suspend two committee sessions, as anger deepened over the collapse of their pensions.
Some protesters tried to tear down barbed wire near the government headquarters, demanding higher pay to match surging living costs.
The demonstrations are part of a wider crisis for Lebanon’s public sector, where salaries have lost more than 90% of their value since the 2019 financial meltdown, leaving workers with meagre incomes against skyrocketing prices. But the veterans’ protests carry special weight, as they represent an institution long seen as the backbone of the state.
“How can a family live on $280 a month?” said Samira, the widow of a soldier, who relies on money from her son abroad. “That barely covers water and electricity bills. We want to live with dignity, not beg.”
Former Internal Security Forces sergeant major Mazen, who retired in April 2024, said his end-of-service lump sum shrank from around $200,000 to just $2,800 under the new exchange rate, while his monthly pension amounts to $320–$420.
“We gave our youth to the country, but it’s as if the state denies our sacrifice,” he told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper. “Thirty years of service went to waste.”
Another retired sergeant, Mohammed, said his pension fell to $280, while his retirement compensation dropped to just $800 from an expected $60,000. “Now I drive a tuk-tuk to feed my three children,” he said. “It sums up the collapse of the state and the absence of justice.”
Retired general and former lawmaker Chamel Roukoz, who heads the Association of Armed Forces Veterans, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the movement was no longer a protest but “a battle for existence and dignity.”
“The problem is not the lack of money, but corruption and waste,” Roukoz said, citing years of financial mismanagement and political disputes over funding.
He said the government had pledged to improve pensions to half their 2019 value but has dragged its feet on implementation.
“We will persist with peaceful but firm actions,” Roukoz said. “This is not just about veterans. It is about today’s soldiers, tomorrow’s army, and the image of a state that must honor those who sacrificed for it.”
