‘Revolution’: Angry Crowds in Beirut Urge Macron to Help Bring Change

‘Revolution’: Angry Crowds in Beirut Urge Macron to Help Bring Change
French President Emmanuel Macron and Lebanon's President Michel Aoun wear protective face masks as they meet following Tuesday's blast in Beirut's port area, at the presidential palace in Baabda, Lebanon, on Aug. 6, 2020. Mohamed Azakir/Reuters
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BEIRUT—French President Emmanuel Macron toured Beirut’s shattered streets on Thursday, two days after a giant explosion, with crowds demanding the end to a “regime” of politicians they blame for corruption and dragging Lebanon into disaster.

“I see the emotion on your face, the sadness, the pain. This is why I’m here,” he told one group, shaking their hands on roads strewn with rubble and flanked by shops with windows blown out after Tuesday’s blast that killed 145 and injured 5,000.