Lebanese protesters face off against army as demos continue

A week of unprecedented Lebanese street protests against the political class showed few signs of abating on Wednesday, with thousands again gathering across the country, braving rain and a heavy military deployment.

Protests sparked on October 17 by a proposed tax on calls made through WhatsApp and other messaging apps have morphed into an unprecedented cross-sectarian street mobilisation against the political class.

Embattled Prime Minister Saad Hariri has presented a series of reforms including cutting ministerial salaries, but the rallies have continued -- crippling the capital Beirut and other major cities.

Protesters have vowed to stay on the streets until the entire government resigns. On Wednesday Hariri held a series of meetings with security and military leaders, stressing the need to "maintain security and stability and to open reads and secure the movement of citizens," according to the state-run National News Agency.

A senior military official confirmed they had orders to reopen main roads and the army deployed in increased numbers in a number of spots, including the main road north of Beirut. Groups of protesters again gathered to block them, sparking fears of the kinds of clashes seen during the first two days of the demonstrations.

But protesters facing the soldiers began singing the national anthem and chanting "peaceful, peaceful." A video of one soldier seemingly in tears at the emotion of the scene was widely shared online.

"We saw the tears of soldiers standing in front of us," Eli Sfeir, a 35-year-old demonstrator, said. "They are following orders and not happy about breaking up demos." The Lebanese army is one of the most universally supported institutions in an often divided country.

Fresh demonstrations began from lunchtime with thousands again taking over main squares in Beirut and other major cities, though numbers were lower than recent days, partly impacted by the arrival of a major storm front.

Banks, schools and universities remain closed. Separately on Wednesday, state prosecutor charged former prime minister Najib Mikati over corruption allegations.

Mikati, 63, along with his brother, his son and a local Lebanese bank have been accused of "illicit enrichment" over allegations of wrongly receiving millions of dollars in subsidised housing loans. The former prime minister, who was last in power in 2014, denied the allegations.

If convicted, he would be the first former Lebanese prime minister to be sentenced for graft. While the allegations have been discussed for several years, the timing of the charges was seen by some as a nod to the demonstrators, who have expressed anger at the entire political class. Mikati’s estimated wealth is $2.5 billion, making him among the 1,000 richest people in the world.