LIVE: Shots fired in Beirut demo after arrest warrant issued for ex-finance minister in port probe

Ruptly is live from Beirut on Thursday, October 14, as armed clashes broke during a protest against Tuesday’s issuing of an arrest warrant for Lebanese MP Ali Hassan Khalil, the country’s former minister of finance. The total number of victims killed rises to 2 and injured to up to 21. Khalil failed to attend questioning regarding the investigation into last year’s massive explosion at Beirut’s port. The demonstration has been called by the Shi’ite Amal movement, of which Khalil is a senior member. On Tuesday, the inquiry into the port explosion was temporarily suspended amid legal challenges from defendants against Judge Tarek Bitar, who intended to query some of Lebanon’s top politicians over suspicion they were aware of the stored chemicals involved in the port explosion but did nothing to prevent it. Bitar was accused of political bias towards Lebanon’s Hezbollah chief, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, who calls for him to be replaced.