Retired Lebanese Army soldiers blocking a section of the Barbarah-Madfoun highway in North Lebanon on Sept. 9, 2026. Photo sent by Michel Hallak.
BEIRUT — Civil servants and retired soldiers began street protests early Wednesday for the Lebanese government to include their demands in the 2027 draft budget currently under review.
Retired soldiers briefly blocked part of the highway linking Madfoun and Barbarah in northern Lebanon with burning tires Wednesday morning, according to our correspondent in the region.
Other veterans blocked both lanes of the highway near Casino du Liban, in Jounieh, as well as Banks Street, near the Grand Serail in Beirut, according to the Traffic Management Center.
The protests came before a government meeting scheduled for 3 p.m. at the Grand Serail, where the Cabinet is set to continue discussing the 2027 budget.
A gathering was planned in Beirut beginning at 11 a.m., followed by a demonstration at noon involving retired soldiers, teachers and public-sector employees demanding higher wages. According to Al-Jadeed, retired soldiers met Wednesday morning with Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri, Interior Minister Ahmad Hajjar, Defense Minister Michel Menassah and Finance Minister Yassine Jaber.
Army veterans had gathered near the Serail on Tuesday night, after the government's first session to review the budget, setting up a tent where some spent the night. That evening, some retired soldiers blocked a road at Riad Solh Square with burning tires to protest the budget proposal, which they said fell short of their expectations. Security forces increased their presence around the Serail and nearby streets.
Since the Lebanese lira collapsed in 2019, sharply reducing the value of salaries, civil servants have received some pay adjustments and social assistance, but their wages remain well below pre-crisis levels.
In addition to salary increases, civil servants are demanding higher transportation allowances, the rejection of a Finance Ministry proposal to stagger the payment of arrears, the adoption of a new salary scale and the introduction of automatic salary indexation based on changes in prices.
A session of the National Committee on Economy, Commerce, Industry and Planning, chaired by MP Farid Boustani, was also scheduled for Wednesday to discuss the government's economic plan and address inflation and rising prices.
Additional reporting by Michel Hallak.
