Lebanon: Hundreds Protest Measures Targeting Unvaccinated

A protester holds a placard during a rally to protest measures imposed against people who are not vaccinated, in Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Jan. 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
A protester holds a placard during a rally to protest measures imposed against people who are not vaccinated, in Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Jan. 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
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Lebanon: Hundreds Protest Measures Targeting Unvaccinated

A protester holds a placard during a rally to protest measures imposed against people who are not vaccinated, in Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Jan. 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
A protester holds a placard during a rally to protest measures imposed against people who are not vaccinated, in Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Jan. 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Hundreds of people rallied in Beirut on Saturday to protest measures imposed against the unvaccinated, saying individuals should have the right to decide whether to be inoculated or not.

Vaccination is not compulsory in Lebanon, but in recent days authorities have cracked down on people who are not inoculated or don’t carry a negative PCR test, The Associated Press reported.

Saturday’s protest by nearly 300 people in downtown Beirut came a day after the daily number of new coronavirus cases hit a record 7,974.

The protest came days after authorities imposed fresh restrictions — including the requirement of a vaccination certificate or negative PCR test for entry into restaurants, hotels and similar venues.

As of Monday, civil servants must either be vaccinated or take regular PCR tests to be able to go to work. Many civil servants cannot afford to pay for regular PCR tests, given Lebanon’s severe economic crisis currency crash.

“No to the dictatorship of vaccination,” read one banner carried by protesters.

Lebanon, with has a population of six million including a million Syrian refugees, has registered more than 760,000 cases and 9,250 deaths since discovering its first COVID-19 case in February 2020.



Yemen's Houthis Launched Missile at US Fighter Jet, Missed

Houthi militants stormed the Greek tanker "Sunion" and rigged its deck with explosives before blowing it up (EPA)
Houthi militants stormed the Greek tanker "Sunion" and rigged its deck with explosives before blowing it up (EPA)
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Yemen's Houthis Launched Missile at US Fighter Jet, Missed

Houthi militants stormed the Greek tanker "Sunion" and rigged its deck with explosives before blowing it up (EPA)
Houthi militants stormed the Greek tanker "Sunion" and rigged its deck with explosives before blowing it up (EPA)

Yemen's Houthis launched surface-to-air missiles at an American fighter jet and MQ-9 Reaper drone this week, but did not hit either, two US officials told Reuters.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, did not specify if the attacks occurred over the Red Sea or Yemen itself.

One said the incidents could suggest the Houthis were improving their targeting capabilities.

Abdul Malik al-Houthi, who leads the Iran-backed group, said in a televised speech on Feb. 13 that the Houthis would intervene with missiles and drones and attack vessels in the Red Sea if the United States and Israel tried to remove Palestinians from Gaza by force.

An Israel-Hamas ceasefire took effect in Gaza on January 19 but has appeared close to collapse recently amid mutual accusations of violations.

US President Donald Trump has infuriated the Arab world with a plan to permanently displace Palestinians from Gaza and take over the enclave to turn it into a beach resort.

The Houthis have carried out more than 100 attacks on ships off Yemen since November 2023 in support of Gaza's Palestinian militants fighting Israel, disrupting global shipping.