Lebanese army retirees demonstrate in Riad al-Solh square, downtown Beirut, April 24, 2025. (Credit: Mohammad Yassine/L'Orient-Le Jour)
The retired military personnel group in Lebanon has announced plans to carry out "road closures and blockages of public roads" on Friday from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. as “an initial angry protest,” the group said in a statement Thursday, relayed by the state-run National News Agency.
They warned that this “will be followed by further protests, including the closure of state institutions and key facilities, which will continue” until their demands are met.
In a statement, the group expressed “surprise and disappointment that the agenda for the Cabinet meeting scheduled for May 2 did not include any discussion regarding the salaries of both active and retired military personnel, despite the significant injustices they face.”
According to the statement, they are calling for an immediate social assistance payment of 20 million Lebanese lira to be approved at the first Cabinet meeting.
They also seek a gradual reform of their salaries, starting with a 50 percent increase based on their pre-2019 salary levels in dollars, to begin in June, along with an additional 10 percent increase every six months.
Other demands include improved end-of-service benefits and equality in fuel allowances for military personnel.
“These issues were ignored by the Cabinet, as no discussions or negotiations took place,” the statement said.
They apologized “in advance to the Lebanese public for any delays or inconveniences caused by the road blockages,” stressing that this action is “a result of the government's failure to address even the most basic right to a decent living.”
Last week, 100s of retired Lebanese military personnel demonstrated at Riad al-Solh Square, in downtown Beirut, alongside a Parliament session addressing a law that includes a provision for pension increases for these former soldiers and police officers, who have been severely affected by Lebanon’s economic crisis since 2019.
Since the onset of Lebanon's financial crisis in 2019, public sector salaries, including pensions, have collapsed due to the sharp depreciation of the Lebanese lira. Protestors have repeatedly denounced what they see as systemic injustice, claiming that military retirees have been disproportionately affected compared to other public sector employees who have received salary increases.