170,000 form human chain across Lebanon

Tens of thousands of Lebanese people organised, on Sunday, a human chain extending from the north to the south, as part of a continuous popular anti-political class movement for 11 days, in a move standing for national unity that has been enshrined during cross-sectarian and regional protests.

Thousands of people spread along the roads and started holding each other’s hands, attempting to extend the chain for 170 kilometres from Tyre in the south to Tripoli in the north, passing through the Martyrs Square in central Beirut. The human chain was supposed to include all the squares that have witnessed demonstrations since the start of the movement on 17 October.

The movement is peaceful, but in recent days, there have been tensions between security forces and demonstrators, who are blocking significant roads in and outside the capital, in an attempt to intensify pressure on the government to implement their demand for the resignation of the government first. The army’s efforts to open roads failed.

There were also tensions between protesters and groups from Hezbollah and the Free Patriotic Movement, led by President Michel Aoun. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who along with Aoun and their allies, has a government majority, expressed rejection of the resignation of the government and the president and the holding of early parliamentary elections, as protesters demand, citing fears of “chaos” and “vacuum.”

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Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who has been at odds with Hezbollah for the past few years, also refuses to resign. He announced a paper on economic reforms, about a week ago, in an attempt to absorb the anger of the public, and called on Aoun to reconsider the reality of government. However, the demonstrators consider that all these proposals came late and did not meet their aspirations, and they are still determined to continue what they call a “revolution.”

The participants of the human chain initiative gathered along highways from north to south and arrived on foot, while some arrived by motorcycles or bicycles.

“Everything is ready. We have volunteers with motorcycles who help us fill in the gaps in the chain,” said Julie Tigo Bou Nassif, 31, one of the initiative’s organisers, adding: “The idea behind this human chain is to show that Lebanon from north to south rejects sectarianism.”

The demonstrations in Lebanon were characterised by covering different Lebanese lands and different sects in a small country based on sectarian quotas and witnessing large divisions among its politicians due to party and religious affiliations. Young people born after the bloody civil war (1975-1990) form the backbone of Lebanese demonstrations which are not party-oriented and do not have leadership.

“We want to reinforce the feeling of national unity that has been emerging in Lebanon in the past ten days,” Bou Nassif said.

The Lebanese army tried yesterday to open several closed roads in different parts of the country, while banks, schools and universities have not opened their doors for more than ten days.

At least six people were wounded yesterday in a clash between the army and demonstrators trying to block a road in the Beddawi area near Tripoli in northern Lebanon.

A confrontation took place in Riad El Solh Square in central Beirut yesterday, after a pro-Hezbollah group set up a tent in the centre of the square and chanted pro-Nasrallah slogans in protest against classifying of the party’s secretary-general as part of the corrupt political class.

Since the beginning of the popular movement, the protesters have demanded to overthrow the entire political class, accusing them of corruption and inability to resolve the country’s crises, especially at the economic level.

Lebanon’s ruling class consists mostly of leaders who were present during the years of the devastating civil war, holding office for nearly three decades. These leaders generally represent a particular religious group or region.

The reforms announced by Hariri included reducing the salaries of officials to half, while he promised to pass a law to recover looted funds, in addition to the adoption of the 2020 budget with a deficit of 0.6 per cent, and the contribution of the banking sector as well as the Bank of Lebanon in reducing the deficit by more than $3.3 billion, during 2020.

Hariri’s coalition partners, as well as the President of the Republic, endorsed these reforms. However, the protesters responded by rejecting these offers, expressing their distrust in the government’s incapability at the executive level.

This morning, like every morning since the protests have begun, young volunteers and families came down to clean up the demonstration sites, in which protesters remain overnight and celebrate.