A woman accompanied by activists and waving what she said was a toy gun stormed Beirut bank branch on Wednesday, he took $13,000 of her trapped savings.
Sally Hafez told the local TV channel Al-Jadeed that she needs to money to fund her sister’s cancer treatment. She said she visited again and again bank Asks for to her money She was told that she could only make $200 a month in ll. Hafez said the toy gun belonged to her nephew.
“I begged the branch manager Before for me money and I told him she was my sister dyingI didn’t have much time left in the interview. “I got to a point where I had nothing else to lose.”
Lebanon cashRestricted banks imposed strict restrictions on Withdrawals of Foreign exchange since 2019, under up savings of millions of people. about three quarters of The population He slipped into poverty as a small Mediterranean country economy It continues in a spiral.
Hafez and activists from group The cry of depositors called to enter the BLOM BANK branch and storm manager’s office. forced bank Staff to deliver over $12,000 and equivalent of about 1000 dollars in ll.
Hafez said she has total of $20,000 in besieged savings in who – which bank. she told her already sold out a lot of Her personal belongings and she had considered selling her kidney to fund her 23 year old sister’s cancer treatment.
Nadine Nakhal bank The client, the hackers said “They poured gasoline everywhere inside, and took out Lighter and menacing light He-she.” The woman said with The pistol threatened to shoot me manager If you don’t accept it money.
Hafez said in a live- Video streamed posted on Her Facebook account she had no intention of doing harm. “I didn’t break in bank to me kill anyone or set The place on fire said. “I’m here to get my rights.”
Hafez was celebrated as a hero via social media in Lebanon, like many in The small crisis-hit country struggle To cover their expenses and recover their savings. It encouraged others to take similar measures to recover their savings.
some of Activists entered bank with Hafez while others demonstrated at the entrance. Keep at the end left with cash Witnesses said the bag was not plastic.
Security forces stand outside Several arrested of Activists, including a man carrying what appeared like pistol. It was not immediately clear If this also Game gun.
Meanwhile, Alaa Khurshid who Presiding over the depositors protest protest group He said a man communicates and coordinates with The group stormed bank in mountain city of Aley to recover his beleaguered savings. Sweetened media You mentioned that the man entered the Mediterranean Bank branch alone with A rifle without any loaded shells, but he was unable to retrieve his savings prior to his capture.
The two incidents occurred weeks after the food was delivered driver broke into another bank branch in And the Beirut contract 10 people hostage for Seven hours require dozens of in thousands of dollar in His savings are besieged. Most of them praised him as a hero.
“There is no governmentnot economic recovery A plan, a little reserves left, Khurshid told the Associated Press (AP), adding that people They have no choice but to “take matters into their own hands”.
“these people a job for decades, but not for referees build Palaces while they can’t buy a bottle of medicine.”
On Wednesday evening, activists closed a major road in Beirut outside Police barracks holding activists who break into bank earlier in today with Hafez. The protesters demanded his immediate release of the two men.
Lebanon has rushed for over 2 years to implement key fixes in Its battered banking sector and economy. have so far failed to reach an agreement with International Monetary Fund on a recovery program That would unlock billions of dollar in international Loan and help to make the country viable again. that it government strive to work in Caretaker since May, and recently elected Parliament remains deeply divided.
In the meantime, millions be struggling to be twins with rampant power discontinuity and rising inflation.
“we need To put an end to everything that’s going on us in “This country,” said Nakhal. money related in banks, and in This case, it’s someone who Sick. we need to find a solution.”
