• Tweeter

  • republish

Lebanon faces a big social protest. In Dora, protesters burned tires on the road on October 18, 2019. REUTERS / Mohamed Azakir

For the second consecutive day, the Lebanese let burst their anger against the corruption of the political class and the increase of the taxes. Two people died.

With our correspondent in Beirut , Paul Khalifeh

Schools, banks, shops and public administrations were closed this Friday, October 18 in Lebanon. The country is frozen, paralyzed. Most of the main arteries, cut by groups of protesters using dumpsters and burnt tires, are impassable. Difficult to move from one region to another, even from one district to another.

Two people, Syrian workers, died as a result of the smoke from a fire that was being fired by demonstrators, and dozens of people were injured in clashes with police. Given the anger of the Lebanese , the authorities seem totally helpless. Hardly a road is opened by the police that another is cut by the demonstrators.

The army increasingly visible

Very discreet since the explosion of violence on Thursday night, the Lebanese army is more visible this Friday. Patrols crisscross the streets without rubbing against angry youth. The government, which was to meet this afternoon under the presidency of the head of state Michel Aoun finally canceled its meeting. This decision shows cracks in the national unity government, made clear with calls for the resignation of Prime Minister Saad Hariri launched by two heavyweights of the Executive, Christian leader Samir Geagea and Druze leader Walid Jumblatt.

The protest movement, originally caused by the imposition of a tax on conversations by WhatsApp and other e-mail, is in the process of turning into political conflict, and perhaps into a government crisis.

The Lebanese are waiting for their prime minister, who must speak in the early evening to try to guess what will happen next day.