Army to "break strike"

According to the AP news agency the Lebanese army and police have sent troops into to the streets of Beirut in an attempt to crush today's nationwide strike.

Meanwhile unions under the control of M14 parties are organising a scabbing opperation. They claim it is an "opposition plot" ro bring down the government! (No doubt the hunger and poverty are also an opposition plot).

The AP reports:

The military said the security forces were under orders to prevent any road closures or rioting. More troops were deployed and patrols sent to prevent trouble.

The strike was called by agricultural and transport unions to protest over the rising cost of living and insisted it would be peaceful.

The striking public transport and agricultural unions said the work stoppage had no affiliation with the political opposition, but pro-government groups dismissed the strike call as another attempt by the opposition to bring down the government.

Traffic on motorway entrances to the city remained normal as labour unions were divided like much of the country amid the deep political crisis between the government and the opposition. Some unions opted not to join the strike after the government met some of their demands a day earlier.

The government said schools would remain open and pro-government unions called on members to ignore the strike. But many families kept their children at home after some schools told parents there would be no bus service.