Lebanon protesters mark 76th Independence Day скачать в хорошем качестве

Lebanon protesters mark 76th Independence Day

(22 Nov 2019) Lebanese protesters gathered on Friday to hold their alternative celebration of the country’s 76th Independence Day at Martyrs’ Square in central Beirut, which used to be the traditional location of the official parade. While the country's top politicians attended a military parade at a limited official Independence Day display, hundreds of protesters converged on the city centre waving Lebanese flags. The crowd sang to the national anthem, while marches set out from different neighbourhoods in the capital toward the square, the epicenter of the protests. Martyrs’ Square faces the waterfront and is near the government headquarters and the parliament. Protesters have occupied the area, closing it off to traffic since mid-October. In an ominous sign, unknown vandals set fire to a large cardboard fist in Beirut's protest camp, which had become a symbol of the uprising. The first had been painted with the word "Revolution." But one protester, Rozar al-Chawi, refused to let go of the large cardboard cut out, painting the word on her own arm and gesturing a fist. "They have burned down the 'thawra (revolution) fist' but I made my own, so they cannot burn our fire," she said. The parallel celebrations of Independence Day reflect the changing mood in Lebanon, which is facing its most serious political and economic crises in years. Leaderless anti-government protests have gripped the country since mid-October, while a deadlock among the top leaders has failed to produce a government three weeks after Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigned. The protesters are calling for a new government and elections outside of the traditional sectarian-based power-sharing agreement. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...