Lebanese security forces use tear gas and water cannon to disperse angry protesters at 'You Stink' rally leaving 35 people injured in Beirut

  • Protesters marched through Beirut as part of the 'You stink' campaign
  • Thousands of people attended the demonstration in the Lebanese capital
  • Police and demonstrators clash with tear gas and water cannon, leaving 35 people injured

By Tom Wyke for MailOnline and Reuters

Published: 19:14 EST, 22 August 2015 | Updated: 05:06 EST, 23 August 2015

Lebanese police fired tear gas and water cannon and shot in the air to try to disperse thousands of protesters in Beirut.

As part of the 'You stink' campaign, demonstrators called on the government to step down for mishandling a dispute which has left rubbish uncollected in the streets for weeks.

Police and security forces cordoned off the centre of the capital around the parliament and government buildings, to thwart the biggest protest in recent months against authorities.

35 people were injured including protesters and police, as locals clashed with the police.

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Ready for action: Protesters, some wearing masks and carrying flags, prepare for contact with security

Ready for action: Protesters, some wearing masks and carrying flags, prepare for contact with security

Standing firm: Demonstrators link arms and attempt to evade the security services powerful water cannon

Standing firm: Demonstrators link arms and attempt to evade the security services powerful water cannon

Pile of rubbish: Weeks of trash has build up over the past month after Beirut's main landfill was closed down

Pile of rubbish: Weeks of trash has build up over the past month after Beirut's main landfill was closed down

Last month the country was left with mounting piles of rubbish after politicians, divided by regional and local conflict, were unable to agree where to dump the capital's refuse.

The crisis was temporarily resolved when the rubbish was finally cleared but bickering within the government over which company to award the new contract has exposed it to allegations of corruption from opponents. 

'The people want the overthrow of the regime,' said protesters using the famous chants made by Arab protesters during the height of popular protests that swept the region after 2011 and toppled several longstanding rulers. 

Cracking down: Armed with battons and riot shields, security forces close in on unruly protestors

Cracking down: Armed with battons and riot shields, security forces close in on unruly protestors

Fleeing: Demonstrators attempt to carry one of their injured friends away from the scene of the clashes

Fleeing: Demonstrators attempt to carry one of their injured friends away from the scene of the clashes

Saving lives: One injured lady is led away on a stretcher as the demonstration started to get nasty

Saving lives: One injured lady is led away on a stretcher as the demonstration started to get nasty

Fierce: Lebanese security forces use water cannons to disperse protesters during a demonstration in Beirut

Fierce: Lebanese security forces use water cannons to disperse protesters during a demonstration in Beirut

Speaking out: One lady urges the governement to sort out the unbearable rubbish problem in the city

Speaking out: One lady urges the governement to sort out the unbearable rubbish problem in the city

Defiant: Protesters from all walks of life joined on the streets to campaign for a rubbish collection

Defiant: Protesters from all walks of life joined on the streets to campaign for a rubbish collection

The weak state has long been criticized for failing to develop the country and its infrastructure. Beirut still suffers daily power cuts 25 years after the end of the 1975-1990 civil war.

Protesters called for the resignation of the government, blaming it for worsening the country's political paralysis.

But government has been particularly poor since the eruption of the war in neighbouring Syria. That conflict has exacerbated Lebanon's political divisions, often along sectarian lines that reflect the Syrian conflict.

The presidency has been vacant for more than a year, and the parliament elected in 2009 has extended its own term and postponed elections until 2017 on the grounds of instability.

A government of national unity has maintained a semblance of central authority and helped to contain sectarian tensions. 

No mercy: Hosed down with water cannon, the security forces also fired shots into the air to disperse the large crowds

No mercy: Hosed down with water cannon, the security forces also fired shots into the air to disperse the large crowds

Fleeing to safety: One group of protesters stand defiant as the powerful water forces others to flee

Fleeing to safety: One group of protesters stand defiant as the powerful water forces others to flee

Voicing their rage: A Lebanese protester is sprayed with water during a protest against corruption and rubbish collection problems near the government palace in Beirut

Voicing their rage: A Lebanese protester is sprayed with water during a protest against corruption and rubbish collection problems near the government palace in Beirut

No escape: The rubbish situation in Beirut has been building up for the past month, leaving to a street demo

No escape: The rubbish situation in Beirut has been building up for the past month, leaving to a street demo

'You stink': Activists had been hoping that the street demonstration might spark the government into action

'You stink': Activists had been hoping that the street demonstration might spark the government into action

Unbearable: Drifting from a huge pile in east Beirut, the rubbish is now a 'major health disaster'

Unbearable: Drifting from a huge pile in east Beirut, the rubbish is now a 'major health disaster'

Daily struggle: The Lebanese government has so far failed to agree a new landfill site for Beirut

Daily struggle: The Lebanese government has so far failed to agree a new landfill site for Beirut

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