Lebanon protests also bring Syrians, Palestinians out onto the streets
Many of the 1.5 million Syrians and 174,000 Palestinians in Lebanon are taking part in the recent protests.
For the seventh day in a row, the Lebanese masses take to the streets, trying to keep the momentum going on a movement that was born seemingly out of thin air, for fear of it slipping through their fingers. Artists reclaim public spaces with graffiti and music, and manouche stands supply the protesters with an energy boost.
But it is not only the Lebanese nationals who are out on the streets — the non-Lebanese residents are also there. The latest numbers state that there are more than 1.5 million Syrian refugees and about 174,000 Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, and many are protesting at Riad El Solh Square. The Lebanese melting pot, colored by intersecting regional trauma, makes it possible for different groups to protest and express hope together.
“These are people [Syrians and Palestinians] who live in this country,” Rima Majed, sociologist at the American University of Beirut, told Al-Monitor. “This is not a revolution only for the Lebanese. Whatever decisions the government is taking, it has repercussions on their lives, so of course they are part of [the protests].”
The discontent of the Lebanese has increased since the Syrian crisis, particularly as many worry that the Syrians are taking their jobs.
