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In Lebanon, protesters ditch rioting and turn revolution into rave

WION Web Team
New Delhi, IndiaWritten By: Sparshita SaxenaUpdated: Oct 23, 2019, 04:15 PM IST
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Photograph:(AFP)

Story highlights

Lebanon's message? Humans can shake the world up, it is not always that one needs to resort to unrest or rioting. 

Protests seem to have gripped parts of the world. From over hundreds getting killed in Iraq to the ongoing unrest in Hong Kong that has seen many face the brunt of tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons - the nature of resistance against the establishment could differ but the underlying sentiment of dissent remains at the heart of all protests. 

Redefining dissent

Lebanese protesters, however, have recently exhibited a new definition of the act of protesting. A form of agitation that not only demonstrates the power of the coming together of people but also sends out a message that not all protests need to turn into riots. 

Last week, protesters in Beirut turned down their clamour to break into a song when a car carrying a toddler was stuck amid the protesting crowd. The agitators quickly picked up a children's song, 'Baby Shark', to ensure that the little one felt safe and not overwhelmed. 

Hush baby!

When driver Eliane Jabbour was surrounded by a rally in the capital last weekend, she asked protesters if they could stop shouting as her young son was asleep in the front passenger seat, news agency Reuters reported. 

On the spot, Eliane relates, the crowd spontaneously broke out into a rendition of the song "Baby Shark", complete with hand gestures depicting a shark's bite, and big smiles.

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Grooving protestors

Another sight met the eye when scores of Lebanese agitators were seen partying on a Saturday night, dancing to the tunes of a DJ. The videos of the same took no time to get viral on social media. One of the users tweeted out, "...riot or not, can't waste a Saturday night". 

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Beats, brides, Beirut!

While at some other place in Lebanon, huge crowds were seen joining hands, dancing around fire, singing and smiling. Another video doing the rounds on social media had a young man propose to a woman, lifting her in the air as the protestors watched and rejoiced in joy. Not just this, the protests in Beirut and other Lebanese areas saw people dress up while even brides took to the streets demanding the establishment to pull the country out of the economic crisis

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Lebanon is a nation where political movements are normally divided on sectarian lines and it is usually difficult to draw nationwide appeal. The current wave of protests in the country have been extraordinary, not just because of their size and geographic reach in a country but also the way it showcases the sheer power of people. 

Lebanon's message? Humans can shake the world up, it is not always that one needs to resort to unrest or rioting. 

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Protesters in Lebanon are angry about the state of the economy, corruption and public services. 

(With inputs from Reuters)