Hariri seeks foreign support for reforms amid protests
Demonstrations ‘full of life and not scary, unlike in other countries’
Lebanon’s embattled prime minister sought international support yesterday for a sweeping economic reform package announced a day earlier, which was intended to pacify massive protests calling for his government to resign.
Sa’ad Hariri hopes the reform package will increase foreign investments and help Lebanon’s struggling economy. But the nationwide demonstrations only grew larger on Monday after the reforms were announced, with protesters dismissing them as more of the same “empty promises” seen in past decades that never materialised.
Lebanon’s biggest demonstrations in 15 years have unified an often-divided public in their revolt against status-quo leaders, who have ruled for three decades and brought the economy to the brink of disaster.
In downtown Beirut, thousands of protesters were digging for a sixth day of demonstrations, insisting Hariri’s government resign. Scores of other protesters held a sitin outside the central bank, while protests on other cities and town continued as well.
Hariri held meetings yesterday with western and Arab ambassadors to explain the reform package.
As millions of protesters rallied across Lebanon to condemn corruption and demand the government’s resignation, dozens of foreign tourists could still be seen holidaying and enjoying the ambience of the protests.
For the past five days, demonstrations have gripped Beirut and other major cities.
But some tourists seemed to be enjoying the creative uprising — believed to be the first of its kind that has included singing, dancing, DJs, partying and distribution of sweets. At the famous Grand Theatre Building, a group of French tourists said they had come to “check out” the protests, adding that they didn’t feel threatened. Having made their bookings in July, the French group arrived on Sunday.
“Before arriving, the images we saw in the media made us feel hesitant … but not scared. We decided to come and once we arrived, personally I didn’t feel any danger. On the contrary, I was very impressed with how quiet it was. Of course, the people were protesting but they were full of life and not scary, unlike in other countries,” one of the female tourists said.
Russian PR professionals Ariza Danielian and Sofia Dulshchikova said they arrived for holiday on Thursday.
“I feel 100 per cent safe and secure...I feel the people here are nice and what they are doing is amazing,” Danielian said.