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Lebanon's Prime Minister Resigns Amid Nationwide Protests

The protests started over a proposed tax on Whatsapp calls but turned into a push for government reform.

Lebanon's Prime Minister Resigns Amid Nationwide Protests
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Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced his resignation on Tuesday after nearly two weeks of nationwide protests.

Protesters celebrated after he made the announcement.

Lebanon is facing an economic crisis and rising debt. The protests started over a proposed tax on Whatsapp phone calls. The government later dropped the proposal, but protesters shifted their focus and demanded government reform. These are the largest-scale protests the country has seen in more than 10 years. 

During his resignation speech, Hariri said: "To all my political peers, our responsibility today is how to protect Lebanon and to uplift the economy. Today, there is a serious opportunity and we should not waste it."

Protesters are demanding new elections, but it's unclear if or when that will happen. 

Additional reporting from Newsy affiliate CNN.