Beirut, Lebanon (CNN) Thousands of protesters filled the streets of downtown Beirut as part of nation-wide demonstrations over deteriorating economic conditions and new austerity measures.

The demonstrations began in Lebanon on Thursday evening and continued into the early hours of Friday morning.

Earlier on Thursday, the government had announced it would charge 20 cents per day for voice over internet protocol (VOIP) use, a feature used by Whatsapp, Facebook, and other applications.

The cabinet also said it would discuss further hikes in value added tax (VAT). The announcements drew the ire of Lebanese social media users during the day, and may have helped bolster the night-time protests.

The government withdrew the VOIP tax proposal on Thursday night after protests began.

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