Why the Lebanese Uprising is so Significant

Lebanon, one of the smallest countries in the Middle East, has recently witnessed one of the most consequential events of its history. A population of over six million Maronites, Sunnis, Shiites, Druze and Catholics, long divided by religion, sect and political affiliation, have, for the first time since independence in 1946, set their differences aside to fight hand-in-hand for a better future and a dignified life. 

“All of them means all of them” is the slogan of the uprising that has recently incited over two million Lebanese to rally the streets and protest against a system they no longer believe in. Not a single political leader is spared from accusations of corruption, theft or indifference. Membership to a political party, which has always been a proud sign of political involvement and part of national identity, is now perceived as treason to “the revolution.” 

Several actors have attempted to quiet the revolution, attenuate its impact and get the citizens “back to work.” From threats made by leaders of political parties to militias causing chaos during peaceful protests, nothing stands a chance in silencing a population that has finally gained conscience of the costs of its passivity and compliance to a government that has lost its legitimacy.  

Rising unemployment, soaring cancer rates, traffic jams and chronic mismanagement are only the tip of the iceberg of what the Lebanese have been experiencing. With no proper economic plan being discussed, the Lebanese government somehow avoids bankruptcy with superficial solutions to conceal the inflating national debt of over 80 billion US dollars, while politicians’ salaries continue to rise every year. From taxes imposed on the people as part of the 2019 austerity measures to plans of privatizing public firms like the Middle East Airlines, every new policy destined to cover the growing budget deficit makes it harder for the average Lebanese person to grow out of relative poverty, in a country where 30% of the population is living on less than four US dollars a day.  

Amidst this economic crisis that has only been worsening for the past three years, the people can no longer turn a blind eye on a failing regime which has repeatedly shown incompetence in making basic decisions. For two and a half years, the country did not even have a proper government, and for one and a half years, deputies refused to gather and vote for a new president. Lebanese politicians have repetitively failed to put their differences and personal interests aside to create lucid plans for the sake of their people. 

On October 17th, the government announced an additional “WhatsApp” tax of six dollars per month, which was later canceled due to public outrage. While this may not seem like much, it certainly is for the citizens who already face the highest telecom rates in the region. To make matters worse, last week began with a wildfire that devoured numerous regions of the country, and the public authority was incapable of containing it. It was the residents who had to put their lives at risk to restrain the flames, while firefighting helicopters were parked at the airport because they lack basic maintenance. This was the match in the powder barrel; the straw that broke the camel’s back.  

On the other side of the fence, the government, still unwilling to dissolve, has proposed political reforms. The prime minister, Saad Hariri, recently issued a public file of resolutions which the government drafted within “72 hours” following the first protest, as he promised in his speech. Of the many reforms in the file, one seemed to gain more attention than the others; “to cut the salaries of deputies and ministers in half.” How high were they in the first place if cutting 50% of them is feasible? 

 While Lebanese might have appreciated these reforms had they come earlier, they have had enough of empty promises. It is no longer the policies they refuse; this protest is no longer a call for negotiation, parliament dissolution or a reelection of ministers. For the past eight days, over two million Lebanese have been gathering in the streets, to renounce the 30 year-old “Taef” sectarian system altogether. 

Hope arose when the leader of the Lebanese Forces party announced the resignation of its four ministers from the government. Moreover, Judge Ghada Aoun pressed charges and issued a case against Najib Mikati, a former prime minister, whose net worth exceeds two and a half billion dollars, for illegitimate enrichment. These events not only motivate the Lebanese to keep taking the streets, but also reinforce the pressure on the government to take action in favour of what the people demand. 

The revolution has gained such wide amplitude that dozens of sister protests have ignited in over 50 cities across the world, such as Montréal, Vancouver, Paris, Dublin, Stockholm and Los Angeles, where Lebanese expats showed their support and solidarity to their country and its revolution.  

Every day, more people take the streets, blocking the main highway leading from the north to the south, and chanting hymns of hope, freedom and prosperity. “Lebanon will be back,” they sing; “power to the people” they write; and “Koullouna lil watan” (United for our country), they shout, all the while chanting their national anthem. They promise not to leave the streets until the government surrenders its power to the people.