Lebanese leaders condemn violence after Tripoli unrest

A woman walks inside the damaged municipality building that was set ablaze overnight, in the aftermath of protests against the lockdown and worsening economic conditions, amid the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Tripoli, Lebanon January 29, 2021. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir

TRIPOLI, Lebanon (Reuters) - Lebanon's caretaker prime minister and its president on Friday condemned overnight violence in the city of Tripoli, where protesters angry over a strict lockdown clashed with security forces and set the municipality building on fire.

Thursday was the fourth straight night of unrest in one of Lebanon's poorest cities, after the Beirut government imposed a 24-hour curfew to curb a surge in the COVID-19 pandemic that has killed more than 2,500 people and compounded an economic crisis.