Dressed in plain black t-shirts common to Shi’ite Hezbollah and Amal movement supporters, the men shouted “we heed your call, Nasrallah,” in reference to Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
Similar scuffles broke out on Thursday night at the same site in central Beirut.
Following the scuffles more riot police with masks and batons were dispatched to the square to defuse the situation, which appeared to be growing more tense.
Some people began lobbing stones and sticks, threatening to quickly turn the so far peaceful protests violent.
“Nasrallah is more honorable than all of them,” they chanted about government leaders accused of corruption by the protesters. “Riad Salameh is a thief,” they shouted, in reference to the central bank governor.
Waving Lebanese national flags rather than the partisan colours normally paraded at demonstrations, protesters have been demanding the resignation of all of Lebanon's political leaders.
"All of them means all," has been a popular slogan.
"We want to stay on the street to realise our demands and improve the country," one protester, who asked to be identified only by his first name Essam, told AFP.
"We want the regime to fall... The people are hungry and there is no other solution in front of us," said Essam, a 30-year-old health administrator.
Nationwide protests fueled by deteriorating economic conditions have swept Lebanon since last week, with protesters calling for the ouster of a ruling elite they say have driven the economy to collapse through corruption and mismanagement.
Based on Reuters, AFP
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