Lebanese students and youth abroad are set to hold protests on Saturday in response to the delay in the approval of the Student Dollar Law, the International Union of Lebanese Youth (IULY) has revealed.
The Union announced the move in a statement on Friday, calling it “a stand of solidarity for Lebanese students in all universities.”
Protests will take place at 4 PM Beirut time in Ukraine, Italy, Belarus, France, and the rest of the 20 countries that have IULY member associations and in which the health situation allows such movements to take place.
On the same day, at 12 PM Beirut time, a symbolic sit-in by the families of Lebanese students abroad will take place in front of the Banque du Liban, organized by the Lebanese Association of Parents of Students Abroad, the Union said.
The statement explained that the move comes after the IULY has exhausted “all attempts and methods and exerted all efforts by communicating with the legislative and executive authorities in Lebanon.”
The decision to hold the protests was also motivated by what the Union described as the authorities’ “betrayal” that manifested in “failing to perform their duty, and their announcement to us that they are literally unable to enforce Law 193 (Student Dollar).”
The Union noted that Lebanese students in universities abroad have “reached rock-bottom” due to their inability to secure the funds they need from their parents in Lebanon due to the economic crisis.
It warned against “falling into the trap” of those who have been “trying for months to make money by exploiting the students’ tragedy and claiming that they are collecting grants and aid from various parties.”
Finally, the Union asked parents and students to take precautions and to not give any personal information that “may be used to make money by fake associations and people who are unfamiliar to this issue, whose goals are unknown, and who have been active in some European countries for months.”
