Policy Grievances

A number of members of Lebanese tenant committees protested in front of the Justice Ministry Thursday morning, ahead of a Cabinet session at the Grand Serail.Tenants have previously rallied in protest against the new rent law, which went into effect in March 2017 after the Constitutional Council rejected a legal challenge. At the time, protesters demanded the law be withdrawn, and called on the Lebanon’s executive and legislative branches to extend the old rent law and to work on a national housing policy.

For a second consecutive day, hundreds of protesters gathered on a main highway in Minyeh Wednesday, demanding an increase to electricity supply and action to fight pollution. Protesters obstructed the highway in both directions with metal barriers and parked trucks, saying they had been “forced to block” the road after security forces removed a protest tent they had erected outside the nearby Deir Ammar power plant.

The residents of Beddawi on Monday blocked the highway in both directions — between Tripoli and Akkar — with cars and trucks, they have also set up a tent in the middle of the road and disclosed their intention to escalate protests until the return of power supply 20 out of 24 hours, as per a previous agreement.

Lebanese and Palestinians staged sit-ins in the city's Martyrs' Square after the Friday prayers, which turned into a march across the streets of Sidon, under the Lebanese army and security forces watchful eyes. Demonstrators held banners condemning the decision of Lebanon's Labor Minister, and confirming that" Palestinians are refugees, until they can return to their country. They are not foreigners." They called for "further protests, until this decision is dropped." Protests were also staged in the Ain el-Hilweh camp.