Beirut, Aug 8 (AP) Lebanese security forces are firing tear gas at stone-throwing protesters after they tried to reach the Parliament area in downtown Beirut.

Thousands of people had poured into Beirut's main square Saturday hanging up symbolic nooses that they say officials should be hanged on over this week's blast while protesters and riot police clashed near parliament.

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The violence by a small group of young men began at the start of anti-government protests planned in the wake of the deadly explosion at Beirut port that devastated large parts of the capital and killed more than 150 people.

The explosion of thousands of tons of ammonium nitrate stored at the port, apparently set off by a fire, was the biggest in Lebanon's history and caused an estimated $10-15 billion worth of damage, according to Beirut's governor. It also left hundreds of thousands of people homeless. (AP)

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(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)