Dozens of people protested on Saturday outside the Lebanese parliament against violence against women, denouncing inaction by the authorities after eight women have been killed since early December. The demonstration was organised by civil society groups including the feminist association Kafa, which wants legislative reforms to protect women from domestic violence.
Red wooden cut-out silhouettes representing victims including the eight were set up in the square outside parliament.Demonstrators brandished placards bearing slogans including "Anger is no excuse" and "No funeral before justice". Since early December, eight women have died violently in Lebanon, including a wife shot dead by her husband on Monday in Beirut.
Also among the dead were a 15-year-old who killed herself over an early marriage and British embassy employee Rebecca Dykes who was strangled by a taxi driver who tried to rape her.
"Women are dying one after the other because of inaction by the legislative, executive and judicial powers that don't consider this to be a priority issue," said a statement signed by several NGOs.