Collective Action 1st Half 2018

During the first semester of 2018, the Collective Actions have been relatively spread across Lebanon, whereas most were concentrated in specific areas during the last semester of 2017. Ahead of the Parliamentary elections held on May 6th, many collective actions appeared to revolve around pressuring runner-up policy makers throughout the country to address citizens’ concerns on a local level.

Similar to the second half of 2017, Beirut had the highest level of conflictivity in the Collective Actions dimension. The causes of grievances within the capital were diversified, with mobilisations relating to Conflicts of Social Discrimination, such as protests supporting women rights, or Conflicts of Socio-Economic Development, notably EDL employees mobilisations demanding improvement of their socio-economic situation, but also collective actions in response to recent political developments, such as the mobilisations to support Berri early 2018 (read more about these mobilisations in the Conflict Analysis digest, Issue 1: https://civilsociety-centre.org/digest/conflict-analysis-digest-january-...)

Saida and Baabda witnessed the second highest level of conflictivity in the Collective Actions dimension, with protests mainly related to Conflicts of Socio-Economic Developments. The most notable protests during the first semester of 2018 involved public servants (i.e. EDL workers, teachers, public hospital employees, as well as Ogero staff) who have been demanding a raise, among others. Although most of these mobilisations have been ongoing over the past years, notably for the teachers and EDL employees, they seem to have intensified during the first half of 2018, in light of the pre-elections period.