People are ‘robbing’ banks in Lebanon – to take their own money

The glass facade of a bank in the Lebanese capital Beirut is broken, after a woman stormed it demanding access to her sister's deposits to allegedly pay for her hospital fees, on September 14, 2022 [Anwar Amro/AFP]

Bank heists in Lebanon have become a growing trend – but these armed “robbers” storming into banks are not stealing anyone else’s money. They are just demanding access to their own savings.

And instead of being prosecuted, the perpetrators have largely been allowed to remain free and have become folk heroes.