Lebanon's Civil Society Protests Against National Dialogue Session

Thousands protested in Beirut on Wednesday, September 18, against the national dialogue session called by Nabih Berri, the Speaker of Parliament. However, the number of attendees was not as high as during the protests on September 7, which filled Martyrs' Square and surrounding streets. Some attribute the decrease in demonstrators to a sandstorm that has swept Lebanon, causing at least three deaths and hundreds of hospital visits in the past two days. Others argue that the decline in participation is due to the lack of a clear goal and agenda from civil society activists who organized recent protests. The national dialogue session began at noon local time with the presence of 'almost' all leaders of parliamentary factions and heads of political parties in the Lebanese Parliament. This session was convened by Nabih Berri following the start of civil society street movements to 'fight corruption.' The aim was to discuss some of the crises Lebanon is facing, including the more than one-year vacancy in the presidency, the functioning of the government and parliament, and the electoral law. The session lasted about three and a half hours but did not seem to yield any results, with only Adnan Azar, the Secretary-General of the Lebanese Parliament, addressing journalists afterward, stating that the focus was on the first agenda item concerning the presidency, and the next session is scheduled for the following Wednesday. Lebanese media reported intense discussions during the national dialogue session, which began with remarks from Nabih Berri, followed by participants sharing their views. LBCI and the newspaper An-Nahar reported a verbal altercation between Fouad Siniora and Michel Pharaon, members of the March 14 coalition, and Michel Aoun from the March 8 coalition. The March 14 coalition is formed by the Future Movement led by former Prime Minister Saad Hariri and his allies, while the March 8 coalition includes Hezbollah and its allies. The disagreements between the two sides have resulted in Lebanon being without a president for over a year. Representatives of the March 8 coalition have so far invalidated 27 parliamentary sessions for the presidential election through their obstruction. The current composition of parliament means that a candidate from the March 14 coalition can reach the presidency with a simple majority plus one vote. However, Michel Aoun is the presidential candidate from the March 8 coalition. The Free Patriotic Movement led by Michel Aoun held a protest last Friday, demanding the election of a president by direct public vote or the holding of parliamentary elections under a new law based on 'proportionality.' The opposing side claims that both options require legal reform by parliament, but such reforms can only be implemented with the president's signature, making the election of a president a prerequisite for all other actions. During the national dialogue session, dozens of activists gathered on the streets leading to parliament, welcoming and then bidding farewell to attendees by throwing eggs at their vehicles. Lebanese security forces cordoned off all streets leading to the parliament and government buildings with barbed wire, and hundreds of army and riot police surrounded the area containing important government buildings to prevent demonstrators from reaching them. Ultimately, at 6 PM local time in Beirut, the civil society protests were held in opposition to the national dialogue session and aimed at 'fighting corruption.' Protesters repeated slogans from previous demonstrations, including: 'Revolution, revolution,' 'Down with the thugs' government,' 'The people want to overthrow the regime,' '14 and 8 have turned the country into a shop,' and 'Thieves go away.' During Wednesday's protests, representatives from civil society in various regions of Lebanon gave brief speeches. In their final statement, the protesters attributed existing problems in Lebanon, such as the 'garbage crisis,' 'long power outages,' 'water shortages,' and 'unemployment,' to corruption and the sectarian system in Lebanon, emphasizing their continued movement until all corrupt actors are punished and the country is reformed. Finally, the protesters headed towards a street near the Ministry of Environment where several activists have been on hunger strike for a week, expressing solidarity with them. The recent protests in Lebanon began in response to the garbage accumulation crisis in the streets of Beirut. The first protest near the Prime Minister's office led to clashes between protesters and security forces. Subsequent protests raised slogans and demands for 'fighting corruption' and 'overthrowing the corrupt government.' The September 7 civil society protest is considered the largest protest in Lebanon's history, where political parties played no role. On Wednesday afternoon, a parliamentary session was also held to discuss the garbage crisis, with reports indicating progress in giving more roles to municipalities. Civil society demands a resolution to the garbage crisis by granting more authority and budget to municipalities instead of outsourcing garbage collection to companies.