Updated

Dozens of residents and activists in northern Lebanon are protesting government plans to address an urgent trash crisis in Beirut by opening a new dump in their region.

During the Thursday protest, activists and local officials threatened to physically stop vehicles carrying tons of garbage that have piled up in Beirut if they make their way to the Akkar district.

Zaher al-Kassar, a local official, says "Akkar will not be your dump."

Large protests in Beirut began in July after authorities closed the capital's main landfill without providing an alternative.

Late Wednesday, the government said it will start two new landfills, including one in Akkar, and will reopen the old one for a week to immediately get rid of tons of trash. Residents living near the old dump also protested.