Collective Action
Palestinian protest calls for asylum outside Lebanon
Dozens of Palestinian youths called for asylum in European countries to escape dire living conditions in Lebanon during a protest near the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp, on October 13th. The Palestinian Youth Organization for Humanitarian Relief in Lebanon organized the protest where demonstrators waved European flags and an enlarged image of a Palestinian identity card issued by the Lebanese authorities, in addition to billboards calling for asylum. "What do you expect after my five children die because of the daily fighting and instability in the Ain al-Hilweh camp? Besides [escaping] misery and unemployment ... I want to live a dignified life. Let them bring me to Palestine or to a country that respects me as a human being," said Mohammed, a refugee who took part in the action. The protest was held near a Lebanese Army checkpoint outside of the camp to show that it was not a renouncement of Palestinian identity.