A group of young men vandalizing a Starbucks in Beirut. (Screengrab : @alaa86ala/X)
Amidst the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, groups of young men vandalized several American-franchise stores and institutions in Lebanon over the past few days, as seen in footage circulating on social media.
Images from Friday Oct. 13 and Wednesday Oct. 18 show crowds on motorcycles, many waving Hezbollah and Palestinian flags, arriving to vandalize a Starbucks branch in Raouche, the American University of Beirut and McDonald's branches in Saida and Ain al-Mraiseh.
Starbucks was closed during the attack that occurred on Wednesday night.
Contacted by L'Orient Today, the American University of Beirut, Starbucks, the Internal Security Forces and the Lebanese Army were not immediately available for comment.
McDonald's administration declined to make a comment on the matter, saying it was not authorized to speak to the media.
Protests and riots also also took place around the American Embassy in Awkar on Wednesday and Tuesday, amid a wave of protests across the region decrying the deadly bombing of the Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza.
At least one protester was injured during the Wednesday demonstration.