Lebanon’s prime minister Saad Hariri resigned on Tuesday in response to nearly two weeks of nationwide anti-government protests.

Mr Hariri said he had reached a “dead end” following 13 days of turmoil. “No one is bigger than their country,” he added.

His resignation came at the end of a day blighted by violence, as supporters of the Lebanese Hezbollah movement and its political ally, Amal, attacked protesters in downtown Beirut.

Mass demonstrations have swept the country since 17 October over a litany of longstanding grievances, including rampant corruption, lack of public services and a worsening economic crisis.

Banks have remained shut over fears of financial collapse, while demonstrators have come out in their hundreds of thousands, blocking roads and filling squares.

Lebanon protests erupt after government plan to impose new taxes Show all 20 1 /20 Lebanon protests erupt after government plan to impose new taxes Lebanon protests erupt after government plan to impose new taxes Protesters, mainly civil activists, started demonstrating in the downtown area of Beirut on 17 October, condemning proposed taxes in the 2020 budget EPA Lebanon protests erupt after government plan to impose new taxes An unexpected addition to impose a daily fee for using WhatsApp calls caused outrage. However, according to the Telecommunications Minister Mohamed Choucair, the charge will not make it through the government palace after the impact it has made on the streets Reuters Lebanon protests erupt after government plan to impose new taxes Protesters take a selfie as they block the Dora highway EPA Lebanon protests erupt after government plan to impose new taxes Protesters clash with riot policemen AP Lebanon protests erupt after government plan to impose new taxes A statue of the Virgin Mary in the background as black smoke rises from burning tires EPA Lebanon protests erupt after government plan to impose new taxes A Lebanese demonstrator stands in front of a tire fire during a protest against dire economic conditions in the Zahrani district in southern Lebanon on October 18, 2019. - Public anger has simmered since parliament passed an austerity budget in July to help trim a ballooning deficit and flared on Thursday over new plans to tax calls on messaging applications such as Whatsapp, forcing the government to axe the unpopular proposal. (Photo by Mahmoud ZAYYAT / AFP) (Photo by MAHMOUD ZAYYAT/AFP via Getty Images) MAHMOUD ZAYYAT AFP/Getty Lebanon protests erupt after government plan to impose new taxes A demonstrator holds a phone as he stands close to a fire during a protest over the deteriorating economic situation in Beirut, Lebanon October 18, 2019. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir MOHAMED AZAKIR Reuters Lebanon protests erupt after government plan to impose new taxes Demonstrators bring tires to be set on fire during a protest targeting the government over an economic crisis, at Barja area blocking off a main road leading from southern Lebanon to Beirut, October 18, 2019. REUTERS/Ali Hashisho ALI HASHISHO Reuters Lebanon protests erupt after government plan to impose new taxes epa07929850 A protester throws a tire on a fire to block a Metn highway during a protest in north of Beirut, Lebanon, 18 October 2019. Protesters, mainly civil activists, started to demonstrate in downtown Beirut on 17 October, condemning the proposed taxes that would go along with the 2020 budget, especially an unexpected government plan to impose a fee of 0.20 cents a day for using WhatsApp calls. This charge will not make it through the government palace according to the Telecommunications Minister Mohamed Choucair after witnessing the impact this made on the streets. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH WAEL HAMZEH EPA Lebanon protests erupt after government plan to impose new taxes Protesters clash with riot policemen AP Lebanon protests erupt after government plan to impose new taxes Demonstrators sit together during a protest over deteriorating economic situation, in the city of Jounieh, north of Beirut, Lebanon October 18, 2019. REUTERS/Imad Creidi NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES Stringer . Reuters Lebanon protests erupt after government plan to impose new taxes epaselect epa07928866 A protester gestures by a fire of plastic barriers and trash set by protesters to block a road during a protest in Beirut, 17 October 2019. Thousands of protesters, mainly civil activists, demonstrated in downtown Beirut on 17 October, condemning the proposed taxes that would go along with the 2020 budget, especially an unexpected government plan to impose a fee of 0.20 cents a day for using WhatsApp calls. This charge will not make it through the government palace according to the Telecommunications Minister Mohamed Choucair after witnessing the impact this made on the streets. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH WAEL HAMZEH EPA Lebanon protests erupt after government plan to impose new taxes Protesters in front of the Government Palace in downtown Beirut EPA Lebanon protests erupt after government plan to impose new taxes Demonstrators burn wood and debris AFP/Getty Lebanon protests erupt after government plan to impose new taxes An anti-government protester makes victory sign, as he holds a Lebanese national flag and walks fire of tires that sits to block a road during a protest against government's plans to impose new taxes in Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, Oct. 18, 2019. Demonstrators in Lebanon are blocking major roads across the country in a second day of protests against proposed new taxes, which come amid a severe economic crisis. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) Hassan Ammar AP Lebanon protests erupt after government plan to impose new taxes A demonstrator lights a torch during a protest over deteriorating economic situation in Beirut, Lebanon October 17, 2019. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir MOHAMED AZAKIR Reuters Lebanon protests erupt after government plan to impose new taxes Demonstrators take a selfie in front of burning tires during a protest targeting the government over an economic crisis, at Barja area blocking off a main road leading from southern Lebanon to Beirut, October 18, 2019. REUTERS/Ali Hashisho ALI HASHISHO Reuters Lebanon protests erupt after government plan to impose new taxes epa07929616 A protester flashes victory signs in front a fire set by protesters to block a Dora highway during a protest in north of Beirut, Lebanon, 18 October 2019. Protesters, mainly civil activists, started to demonstrate in downtown Beirut on 17 October, condemning the proposed taxes that would go along with the 2020 budget, especially an unexpected government plan to impose a fee of 0.20 cents a day for using WhatsApp calls. This charge will not make it through the government palace according to the Telecommunications Minister Mohamed Choucair after witnessing the impact this made on the streets. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH WAEL HAMZEH EPA Lebanon protests erupt after government plan to impose new taxes Lebanese protesters wave placards during a protest against dire economic conditions in Zouk Mikael, north of the Lebanese capital Beirut on October 18, 2019. - Public anger has simmered since parliament passed an austerity budget in July to help trim a ballooning deficit and flared on Thursday over new plans to tax calls on messaging applications such as Whatsapp, forcing the government to axe the unpopular proposal. (Photo by JOSEPH EID / AFP) (Photo by JOSEPH EID/AFP via Getty Images) JOSEPH EID AFP/ Getty Lebanon protests erupt after government plan to impose new taxes epa07929908 A protester runs by burning tires that were set fire to block a Metn highway during a protest in north of Beirut, Lebanon, 18 October 2019. Protesters, mainly civil activists, started to demonstrate in downtown Beirut on 17 October, condemning the proposed taxes that would go along with the 2020 budget, especially an unexpected government plan to impose a fee of 0.20 cents a day for using WhatsApp calls. This charge will not make it through the government palace according to the Telecommunications Minister Mohamed Choucair after witnessing the impact this made on the streets. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH WAEL HAMZEH EPA

In a country where politics is usually divided along sectarian lines, protesters have called for the resignation of all party leaders and new elections.

“For 13 days the Lebanese people have waited for a decision for a political solution that stops the deterioration [of the economy]. And I have tried, during this period, to find a way out, through which to listen to the voice of the people,” Mr Hariri said in his speech.

“It is time for us to have a big shock to face the crisis. To all partners in political life, our responsibility today is how we protect Lebanon and revive its economy.”

Protesters responded to the announcement by chanting a refrain that has become popular during the demonstrations: “All of them means all of them,” a rallying cry for the removal of all the country’s political leaders.

“This is the first thing we have achieved with our revolution. That’s one down, many more to go,” said Zeinab Mroueh, 38, at an impromptu party in downtown Beirut celebrating the news.

“We were always following our leader before, but this revolution was for everybody. We all put our leaders aside. This is the first time you are seeing Muslims with Christians and Druze all together saying the same thing: everybody must resign.”

Another protester, Firas Faraj, 41, said the resignation was “just the start”.

“This is the first time something like this has happened in Lebanon. We want to have another government, a technocratic government and we should start working on another election.

“No matter what happens we have done so much. We Lebanese grew up here but we never felt this one of love for our country.”

Lebanon’s confessional political system requires that its governments are formed by consensus, and stipulates a complex power-sharing between its different religious communities.

Mr Hariri was named prime minister of a national unity government in January this year, nine months after the country’s last elections.

His resignation will likely spark a new round of political deadlock in Lebanon, as the country seeks to form a new government.

The protests have plunged Lebanon’s political class into chaos. For the first time, the sectarian political order that has governed this eastern Mediterranean nation since the end of the civil war in 1990 is facing a mass movement aimed at its overthrow.

The combination of an acute economic crisis and decades of rampant corruption has pushed the country to the edge.

Lebanon has one of the highest debt-to-GDP ratios in the world due to years of mismanagement. Unemployment stands at close to 25 per cent, and tens of thousands of educated young people leave the country each year due to a lack of opportunity.

What began as a spontaneous burst of anger over a new set of taxes quickly turned into something bigger. Rather than targeting the government or any one political leader, protesters called out Lebanon’s corrupt political class in its entirety.

The scale of the protests appears to have taken the government completely by surprise. In an attempt to quell the protests, Mr Hariri announced a package of reform measures last Monday. They included cutting the salaries of top officials, and abolishing several state institutions. But protesters were not convinced and continued to demonstrate.

The current government is dominated by factions allied with Hezbollah, the most powerful armed group in the country. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has been increasingly vocal in his criticism of the demonstrations. Last week he suggested that they were being influenced by foreign powers, and warned of “chaos and collapse”.

His supporters have ramped up their hostility towards the demonstrators in turn.

Just hours before Mr Hariri’s announcement, hundreds of supporters of Hezbollah and its ally, the Amal movement, attacked protesters in Beirut in some of the worst violence since demonstrations began.

Around midday, large groups chanting slogans in support of both parties began violently attacking protesters who were blocking a main road through downtown Beirut.

The Independent witnessed the group throwing rocks and beating protesters and journalists. A large number then swept passed police into downtown Beirut, where they destroyed a protest encampment that had sprung up in the past week.