Lebanons army has removed roadblocks set up by protesters at a critical juncture linking Beirut to the suburbs and the countrys east. The removal of the roadblocks on Saturday comes on the tenth day of protests in which protesters have called for civil disobedience until the government steps down. Soldiers removed chairs and tents set up in the middle of the Chevrolet intersection that links Beirut to the presidential palace, the mountain, the east, and suburbs of Beirut. The protesters didnt resist. The removal also comes after the military warned that blocking roads is in violation of the law. Other roadblocks have continued. The protests have paralyzed the country, which already faces a deepening economic crisis. The unprecedented nationwide rallies united the Lebanese against long-serving politicians, accused of corruption and mismanagement. Amnesty International said on Friday- the ninth day of nationwide anti-government protests- that the Lebanese authorities must take all feasible measures to ensure the protection of peaceful protesters, respect their right to freedom of assembly, including the legitimate blocking of roads, and refrain from trying to forcefully disperse peaceful assemblies, “As we enter the ninth day of protests, the Lebanese authorities must ensure the protection of peaceful protesters and their ability to exercise their right to freedom of assembly without fear of harassment or -most importantly – of attack by supporters of political parties opposed to the protests.” said Lynn Maalouf, Amnesty International’s Middle East Research Director. “Lebanese protesters are making their voices heard in a peaceful manner – the authorities have an obligation to uphold and protect this right, which can include the blocking of roads. Heavy-handed policing or violent dispersal will only increase tensions and provoke hostility, which could lead to a dangerous turn in what has so far largely been a peaceful wave of protests.” The right of peaceful protesters to demonstrate on and block public roads has consistently been upheld by international human rights bodies which view urban spaces as a legitimate space for protest. The UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association has stated that “the free flow of traffic should not automatically take precedence over freedom of peaceful assembly.” Amnesty explained that restrictions can only be placed on the right to freedom of peaceful assembly where strictly necessary, proportionate and provided by law – such as clearing a access road to a hospital or removing an assembly which has caused substantial disruption for a significant period of time to accommodate a pressing social need.