Thousands of people from across Lebanon poured into downtown Beirut for a second day of protests to demand the government resign over the trash crisis and other controversies.
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Mr Salam said that those security forces guilty of injuring demonstrators would be held accountable.
Riot police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse protesters and to prevent them from marching towards the country’s Parliament House, according to Xinhua.
Some gunfire was heard in the streets, though there were no reports of anyone being wounded.
At least 15 demonstrators were injured including one who was in critical condition, the Red Cross said. The protesters later moved to the nearby Martyrs’ Square and pledged to stay the night.
The protest began in Riyad Solh Square near the government building.
The massive crowds accusing the regime of corruption and dysfunction call to mind images of the Egyptian revolution of February 2011, which resulted in the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak and a series of political upheavals, which eventually resulted in the rule of Gen. Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
Salam said he stood “with the people and with the citizens”, adding: “I’m ready to listen to you and sit with you”. “The will of the people will eventually succeed no matter how long it takes”.
Police retaliated with water cannon and tear gas. A tree next to a church was set ablaze, road signs were pulled from the ground, and shop fronts smashed. Protesters also threw projectiles at security forces. The protesters hurled stones and water bottles at the force, injuring at least two who were seen whisked away by their comrades.
The Lebanese online media Naharnet Newsdesk reported that 35 policemen were injured in the clashes with the protesters.
The demonstrations have shifted from merely demanding a resolution to the garbage problem to calling for the resignation of the country’s top politicians. Salam, Lebanon’s prime minister, said in a news conference earlier Sunday that if this Thursday’s Cabinet meeting is not productive, “then there is no need for the council of ministers”.
MPs have been unable to decide on a president, a mainly ceremonial role, reserved for a Christian in a sectarian power-sharing system. That often means complete paralysis.
Exacerbating these issues is the fact the Syrian Civil War has caused Lebanon to absorb more than 1.2 million refugees fleeing the terror of both the Islamic State and government of Bashar al-Assad.
The protests are the largest to hit Lebanon in years.
They have extended their own terms twice, dismissing calls for elections and legitimate representation.
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The health minister has warned of a catastrophe as some have started dumping waste in valleys, rivers and near the sea.
