Adonis Diaries

October 17, 2019: The start of an all out Revolt in Lebanon, in every district.

We are not close to ending the culture of impunity. But that is no excuse not to continue to try.

The Irish President was in official visit and had speeches with the Lebanese President. He was to join the Prime minister Serai for a formal dinner.

Events looked cool and promising.

I finished watching a movie at 1 am. and I flipped to a local channel. I was totally surprised to see a huge mass protest in downtown Beirut.

Usually, by 10 pm, the demonstrators disperse, but this time around demonstrators kept flocking in till 3 am. and from far away locations.

I discovered that the mass protests were going on in major cities (Saida and Tripoli) and even in the Bekaa region.

The internal security forces found out that the demonstrators are Not about to retreat or disperse. Each time the forces tried to make a security zone for themselves, they retreated and were pushed back by the determination of the marchers.

No water hoses or gas canisters were used since they demonstrations didn’t generate into violent acts.

But many tires were set to burn in many locations and a few banners and politician posters were torn down.

I went to bed at 3 am and the protests were going strong and I woke up to discover the masses increased in numbers, diversity and locations.

Burning tires closed most highways, and especially access and exit from the airport.

All schools and universities are closed.

So what happened for this outburst of anger?

The convoy of the minister of education, a stooge to his sectarian  and civil war leader Walid Jumblat, shot scores of bullets to drive through a few demonstrators.

The minister of communication reported that the government agreed to charge 20 cents for just the first call on WhatsApp. This minster had dispersed $100 million to purchase the building of Touch a month ago, on the ground that this is cheaper to pay rent for 10 years, as the government was promising to cut on unnecessary expenses to balance out the budget.

Here are a few of my comments and notes that felt needed to be posted on FB.

“It is 1:15 am. The news on Al Jadeed is claiming that hundred of motor cycles are converging to downtown Beirut and burning is taking place in front of the Al Amin Mosque and unfinished buildings”.

I started to flip through the local channels and everyone of them were covering the protests, except OTV (the channel of the Al Tayyar, the party of the President of the Republic Michel Aoun)

“OTV committed an unforgivable error: it refused to cover the massively angry citizens. This demonstration was meant to aid the President to “turn the table” over the mafia/militia “leaders”, but the message is clear and loud: “I will Not turn any table. I am part of this political system. All the reforms are meant to be retouch…” . How can we claim Siyadat (autonomy) when the people is hungry and trampled? The President fell into the trap of Nabih Berry/Walid Jumblat/ Samir Jea3ja3 (the main civil war mafia “leaders”, in control since 1993)”.

(Ghareeb. kel al canalaat 3am tonshor al mouzaharaat, ella OTV: Sett latifat? Ghalat. Ghalat. hal mouzaharaat fi haazeh al saa3at al mouta2akhirat moufaja2at kabirat. estakhro al sha3eb lal 2akher)

“The 20 cents on the first WhatsApp call for the day was meant to be symbolic, but the citizens felt it “estekhraa2 mouwaaten”. Bad timing as no one experienced any material changes in the reform or economic state of affairs. Can you feel any possibility for political system changes?”

“The citizens are revolting against their parents who cowed down and accepted indignity for 30 years. Two generations of parents were unable to reform anything in this defunct political system during 3 decades”

(Al mouwaaten 3am ye7ro2 abawaaton yali 3awadouhom 3al zil li 30 years)

The PM decided to cancel out the meeting of the government set for 2 pm today.

“Strange. Instead of meeting to discuss this upheaval and find resolutions, the government opted to shriek its responsibility”

(Ghareeb. badel ma yejtem3o lel ta7aawor, bi yelgho al jalssat. Ma fi mas2ouliyyet)

“I suggest to the President to call China President to extend the cash amount needed to pay what is due of the State to the salaried public servants, the retirement, and the institutions, including hospitals, schools, military personnel.. that have Not be paid for months. Call now Mr. President”

(Mousta7akaat al dawli lel sha3eb, ziyadat ma3aash, takaa3od, mostashfayaat…)

“With the burning of tires in Beirut, all the deputies moved out to their resort villas. The parliament is to contemplate a resort parliament to circumvent “tire burning”

“Nabih Berry, the chairmin of the Parliament in the last 27 years, is doing all he can to oust the President”

(Berry ma baddo mouwazanat 2020. baddo yekhla2 mouwarabat nikaash new voting law, wa halla2?)

“The government is Not about to resign because foreign powers do Not wish it and because Saad Hariri PM is Not about to resign and miss out on the advantages he will reap from the Cedars loans from Europe. I suggest that the ministers of the Al Kouwaat of Samir Jea3ja3 be shed from this government, and the ministers of education and communication be fired. The many ministers with No formal responsibilities be asked to fill the gap”

(Sa3ed moush masmou7 lahuo yestakeel? wa la houwa 3endo marraa2 bi woujoud Cedre. Al e7timal al ma3koul: tan7iyat wouza Al Kouwaat, istikalat Shihayyeb wa Choukair. 3abo al faraagh bi wouzarat bila 7akaa2eb.)

“Come on. If you don’t care to join the protests, at least stay home and refuse to take any vacations”

(yalla. indabbo bil bouyout aw inzalo 3al shaare3. ma fi tesh ba3d al 2an)

The protesters advanced toward the Presidential Palace. The minister of foreign affairs (Jobran Basil), the chairman of the Tayyar party and the strongman of the President) delivered a strong and exhaustive speech from the Palace. Basil demanded that the government meet continuously in order to finish the 2020 budget, that all ministers and deputies submit their financial balance sheets, all the thieves be brought to trial and the recovered money be deposited in a Sovereign Fund…

I feel most of the present protesters are primed to target Jobran Basil, meaning to point the blame to the President, though they were out of the political system for 2 decades.

It is 5:45 and the protesters of Tripoli in Nour Square “Sa7at al Nour” are experiencing live bullets from the guards of former deputy Mosbaa7 A7dab. Seven protesters were severely injured and one killed. The protesters refused this guy to join the marches and after the raining of the bullets they converged and burned Mesbaa7 vans business .

Apparently, the protesters are sick and tired of all politicians, current or former. Although, if you interview anyone aside, he will lambast everyone, except his sectarian leader.

I am waiting for the Saad Hariri PM speech at 6 pm in his Palace (Serai).

Saad delivered his short speech at 6:45. He gave himself 72 hours to hear a definite and full agreement by the political allies on the program for the set of reforms. Apparently, as he said, all the parties agree and at the last minutes they recant on their promises. And this process has been going on for 3 years.

The funny part, all these politicians say “I was feeling with you all the time, you hunger, frustration and despair, but I refrained from expressing myself publicly…”

The protesters claimed that they will Not quit the street until the government resigns. And they prefer a military coup to round up the political thieves and set the stage for new election.

Note 1: In March 8 and March 14 2005, Beirut witnessed mass demonstrations after Syria decided to withdraw its troops from Lebanon. On March 8, Hezbollah organized a demonstration to “Thank the Syrian troops for a job well done”. On March 14, a counter mass demonstration was held in celebration of the withdrawal of the Syrian troops after 3 decades of presence. All the political parties and their “militia leaders” (who lead the civil war and totally cooperated with the Israeli occupation and the Syrian presence  in order to preserve their privileges and political positions) took advantage to claim the patriotism.

October 17, 2019 is a far monster demonstration in diversity, location and determination: it is an upheaval against the internal enemies, thieves and highway robbers of the budget in the last 3 decades.

Note 2: A few years ago, Lebanon was crumbling under a massive waste disposal problem under Sa2eb Salam PM. The wastes were deposited on the streets and on the sides of the rivers. The protesters, under the banners ” You smell” (tol3et ri7etkom) were dispersed with water hoses and gas canisters. The waste disposal problem is still Not resolved.