Lebanese Depositors Protest Bank Branches Over Frozen Savings

Dozens of Lebanese bank customers demonstrated outside three commercial banks in Beirut, lighting fires to highlight that their deposits have remained frozen for seven years. The protest was organised by the Depositors' Outcry Association, which warned that the continued capital controls are a "warning" to authorities.

Lebanon’s financial system collapsed in 2019, leading banks to impose informal restrictions that severely limit withdrawals, especially of foreign‑currency assets, as the country faces a sharp shortage of foreign reserves and a currency that has lost about 90% of its value. Economic forecasts predict a GDP contraction of 7‑16% this year and inflation running at 19% year‑on‑year, while social safety nets remain absent. Economy Minister Amer Bisat has said that depositors will be repaid "over time" as part of a broader overhaul of the financial system.