Amid the buzz that came about Tuesday morning as security forces have been reported as trying to open up Lebanon’s main protest zones, such as El-Nour Square in Tripoli and Martyr’s Square in Beirut, protesters are asking the people sitting at home to come down to the sites to stop the Sulta from “dismantling the revolution.”
A post from the Instagram page Daleel Thawra asked people, “Stop what you’re doing. Go down to the streets so that the revolution won’t stop. Don’t let them destroy the revolution. Resist.”
This came as a reaction to security forces removing all metal barriers that block the road in Martyr’s Square, as reported by LBC. However, protesters once again closed the roads. They deemed that move by the security forces as a statement from the Sulta that the revolution “never happened.”
In response to rumors that the revolution area was being cleared off, a protester in El-Nour Square said that “if they want to open it up, we will do our best to close it down again.”
The reason that the roads were opened is not exactly known. However, many are speculating that it has something to do with the parliamentary session that took place yesterday.
A day before that session, a call was launched on social media for a human shield to stop it, which came close to do so, had it not been for the preparedness of the security forces who came in huge numbers to stop the protesters from blocking the roads leading to parliament.
This resulted in confrontations causing 27 injuries, 8 of which were hospitalized. The budget was passed “unconstitutionally” with 49 votes. Many MPs boycotted it, some refused to vote.
People believe that the decision to open up the roads was so that the government can return to business as usual; as if the revolution has ended.
However, the interior minister Mohammad Fahmi denies that there was a decision to dismantle the protests, and added that the removal of the barriers was to “make it easier for citizens to travel freely.”
