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The social protest movement in Lebanon entered Wednesday, October 23 in its seventh day and does not give signs of breathlessness. On Tuesday again, tens of thousands of people were demonstrating in Beirut and across the country.
From our correspondent in Beirut,
The protesters are divided into three categories today: those who are satisfied with the measures and reforms proposed by the government; those who believe that the rescue plan of Prime Minister Saad Hariri deserves a last chance; and finally those who reject it en bloc.
It is not the plan itself that arouses the discontent of the crowd, but those who are called upon to implement it . There is clearly a problem of trust between the Lebanese and their leaders. Even the most uncompromising of the protesters think that those in power will either empty the reforms of their meaning or never put them into effect.
The most radical demand the resignation of the Prime Minister, or even the President of the Republic Michel Aoun , or the dismantling of the political system based on the distribution between the various religious communities posts within the state.
Political parties present but discreet
Political figures have tried to come into the movement but have not come to an end. Some politicians have been driven out of large rallies in Beirut and Tripoli, Lebanon's second largest city in the north of the country. During the demonstrations that take place, one sees besides only Lebanese flags, no pennant of political party.
This does not mean, however, that the major traditional formations do not try to infiltrate this vast popular movement and direct it towards objectives serving their own agenda. But they do it discreetly without appearing on the front line.
In particular, it is necessary to distinguish between the demonstrators who gather in the squares of the big cities, and the groups of young people who cut the roads, and who often belong to political formations, in particular the Christian party of the Lebanese forces of Samir Geagea and the Progressive Socialist Party of Druze leader Walid Jumblatt.
A paralyzed country
The country has been paralyzed for almost a week with the closure of motorways and major arteries, schools and universities are closed, as well as many businesses and banks. Some families are starting to run out of liquidity as ATMs are no longer powered.
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Many professional and sectoral unions have urged protesters to skip supply vehicles, such as tankers, trucks delivering wheat to bakeries, or drugs to hospitals and pharmacies. Problems of hygiene and health could also appear because garbage is not collected any more for several days.
The Lebanese army sometimes intervenes to open a road or prevent the blockage of a strategic artery, but it has not been ordered to open all roads in the country. The possibility of decreing the state of emergency was mentioned by the media on Tuesday, but government sources have denied this possibility.