United for Lebanon (UfL) and the Depositors’ Outcry Association are calling for a protest against the banks on Friday, May 13th, two days before the Elections Day of May 15th.
The protest is being organized as a way to act on the absence of a serious role for Lebanon’s judiciary regarding the “abuses” made by Lebanese banks against the depositors’ rights.
The protest will take place at 10:00 a.m in front of the Palace of Justice in Beirut, and will set off for other targets.
United for Lebanon (UfL) is an active union of anti-corruption lawyers assisted by activists from civil society aiming to build judicial reforms.
UfL was established in 2016 to confront those responsible for wasting Lebanese taxpayers’ money and for corruption in public institutions and productive sectors.
Its efforts are based on three main pillars: Lawsuit filing, raising awareness through media and social media, and organizing protests and sit-ins.
Since its founding, the UfL has attended many corruption files in public and private institutions, and gained positive results with lawsuits.
Its activism has further increased since the Lebanese banks imposed their capital control in late 2019, depriving depositors of the rightful access to their money entrusted to banks.
The decision has massively impacted the Lebanese people and their lives, as well as businesses, and the students abroad with harsh restrictions imposed on transfers, among others.
People lost a lot of their money, including its value with the dramatic devaluation of the Lebanese pound since then.
Hundreds of depositors in Lebanon have organized protests and sit-ins to voice out their frustration and anger toward the banks.
Their protests have been also directed against the ruling body that has neglected to intervene with the banks’ capital control, assist the people in their hardships, and tackle the economic crisis.
With the 2022 parliamentary elections taking place on Sunday, May 15, these protests come to remind future deputies of the people’s demands and the voters of what is at stake with their votes.
