October 17th, 2019 marked the date of the beginning of the Lebanese revolution. After countless years of corrupt governance, fed up citizens started protesting for reform.
The Lebanese government is built upon a sectarian scheme, where each sect has a say in parliament, in Lebanon there are 18 sects. This structure is supposed to deliver inclusion to all types of people in Lebanon, instead, it created a clear divide between government officials. Sectarianism created less and less cooperation, therefore less development. It became so bad that people who supported their sects began to hate on their own representatives. But sect leaders and the government were too preoccupied laundering investment money that they did not care.
Fast forward a few decades later, the country grew massively in debt. Lebanon experienced hyperinflation, and as a result, currency started losing value, everything became more expensive, and some citizens even started starving. Banks were emptied and accordingly set a withdrawal limit of 400 dollars for the maximum deposit. To make matters even worst, unbelievable taxes were imposed, such as the WhatsApp tax, where individuals were taxed for using a free internet calling and texting app. This tax was the last straw for the Lebanese people, and so it triggered the protests.
Written by Mariam Al Raisi
Media by Ben Hyland
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