2019-10-22 12:25:07
Mass protests in Lebanon have entered their sixth day as hundreds of thousands around the country are taking to the streets to demonstrate against dire economic conditions, austerity and corruption, demanding the country’s leaders step down.
The protests were sparked last week when the government announced a tax on WhatsApp calls, but the massive demonstrations have since grown into a call for revolution.
More than a million demonstrators flooded the streets of Beirut, Tripoli and other cities over the weekend.
Prime Minister Saad Hariri revoked the WhatsApp tax on Monday and announced a package of economic reforms, but protesters are continuing to call for his ouster.
For more, Democracy Now! speaks with independent Lebanese journalist Kareem Chehayeb, whose recent piece for The Washington Post has headlined Lebanon’s protests and wildfires tell the same grim story.
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