MOSCOW, August 9. /TASS/. At least 728 people were injured in the anti-government protests in the Lebanese capital Beirut and 19 activists were detained, Al Jazeera TV channel reported on Sunday.

Earlier, Arab media reported that 490 people were injured, including nearly 70 police.

On Saturday, an anti-government protest gripped downtown Beirut, turning into riots. Sami Gemayel, the leader of Lebanon's Kataeb opposition party, had earlier called for mass anti-government protests. The protesters blamed the ruling coalition for corruption and demanded an early election and an independent probe into a powerful blast that ripped through Beirut’s port on August 4, claiming 158 lives and destroying the capital’s infrastructure.