Lebanese police clashed with anti-government protesters in Beirut late Saturday, firing tear gas to prevent them from breaching barricades near parliament, ahead of talks next week to appoint a new premier.

Lebanese police clashed with anti-government protesters in Beirut late Saturday, firing tear gas to prevent them from breaching barricades near parliament, ahead of talks next week to appoint a new premier. Lebanon has been swept by unprecedented nationwide protests since October 17, demanding the complete overhaul of a political class deemed inept and corrupt. The government stepped down on October 29, but bitterly divided political parties have subsequently failed to agree on a new premier, although talks are now planned for Monday. Saturday's clashes erupted at the entrance to the street leading to parliament, which was blocked by security forces. Images broadcast by local TV channel LBC showed the anti-government protesters trying to break through metal police barricades, and officers firing tear gas and beating them. The demonstrators overturned heavy flower pots and shouted slogans hostile to the security forces and parliament speaker Nabih Berri, the footage showed. Clashes followed in Martyrs Square -- the epicentre of protests since October -- and on a bridge in the city centre, according to an AFP photographer. Security forces fired rubber bullets, while protesters threw stones, the photographer said. Protesters were injured by batons while others passed out due to the intensity of tear gas fumes, and members of the security forces were also wounded, the photographer said. The Lebanese Red Cross said on Twitter that it had taken 10 people to hospital and provided care to 33 people on the ground. It told AFP people had been treated for breathing difficulties and fainting, along with injuries caused by stones, noting that security personnel and civilians were among those treated. Lebanese civil defence also said it took 10 people to hospital, but did not specify whether the affected were civilians or members of the security forces.

Lebanese police clash with anti-government protesters

By Monica Clua Losada and David J Bailey

People across the world are demonstrating their discontent in increasingly creative and disruptive ways.

The past year has seen schoolchildren across the world join the Fridays for Future strikes, witnessing mass walkouts from schools across the globe. In Chile, coordinated fare-dodging protests on public transport – also led by school pupils – has now grown into mass unrest against the rising cost of living. During the past two weeks, protests have erupted across Lebanon in opposition to rising taxes, involving road blockades and a human chain across the country to illustrate the unity of the people.

Something notable about these protests, from Chile to Lebanon to Catalonia, is that protesters are mobilising around far more than single issues. Their primary demands – from economic issues to climate change – are set against a backdrop of questioning the status quo more broadly. And it’s not just demands that are expanding: the ways in which civil disobedience and direct action are carried out is also becoming increasingly novel.

A closer look at the continuing demonstrations in Catalonia illustrates the significance of this.

Tsunami Democràtic

In September, a new initiative was created in Catalonia: Tsunami Democràtic. Nobody fully seems to know where it came from or who was the organising force behind it. Those initially sharing its tweets came from different political families, including all three pro-independence parties, as well as some of those who had been imprisoned as a result of their involvement in the Catalan independence movement.

Following its initial announcement, little was heard from Tsunami Democràtic besides occasional tweets highlighting the effectiveness of peaceful civil resistance. This changed on October 11 – the day the Supreme Court sentence against the Catalan leaders was expected – when Tsunami Democràtic released a song: “La Força de la Gent” (The Strength of the People). This echoed the spirit of the song “Agafant l’Horitzó” (Let’s take the Horizon), which was released prior to the independence referendum of October 1 2017. The group then started organising protests.

So far, Tsunami Democràtic has only called three of the countless protests we’ve witnessed since Monday October 14, when sentences were announced against the seven government ministers as well as the speaker of the House and two civil society leaders.

The first – and largest – protest was the occupation of Barcelona airport on the same day the sentences were announced. Some 155 flights were cancelled and the disruption caused to the airport was considerable, as the blocking of roads and of one of the terminals lasted well over six hours. On October 21 Tsunami Democràtic called another protest, with only a few hours’ notice, prompted by a surprise visit to Barcelona by Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sanchez. The protest had a simple demand – #SpainSitandTalk – following the weekend’s refusal by Sanchez to answer the Catalan president’s calls.

High-tech protests

The group’s great success in calling and enacting enormous protests at the drop of a hat has been enabled, to a large degree, by technology. It has used the messaging app Telegram with particular success, gathering over 385,000 subscribers. Telegram channels (which are designed to send information from a single source to subscribers) have become crucial sources of information and organising around the world.

Tsunami Democràtic has also developed a new app designed to coordinate protests in real time depending on people’s locations. This proved so popular that its systems collapsed during the first few hours, as so many people tried to download it.

The app, which has not been put to use yet, is accessible using QR codes that are shareable among up to ten users. This means that if one of the codes (or nodes) is acting suspiciously, the whole chain can be removed. It is designed to organise users (called water drops) into actions to create a “tsunami”. This could include the occupation of transport hubs (such as train stations or aiports), but also the coordination of demonstrations against specific events. The idea is quite a novelty, and has already gathered interest among tech communities.

Tsunami Democràtic has already made waves. The Spanish Home Office has labelled it a terrorist organisation. Last week, the Guardia Civil (Spain’s paramilitary police force), closed down the Tsunami Democràtic website, and the home office minister announced that they are investigating who is behind it. So far, except for the musicians that appear in the song, and football manager Pep Guardiola’s video reading Tsunami’s manifesto, there are no other public faces.

Changing seas

We live in a time when protests are growing on a worldwide basis, often in response to undemocratic actions of governments.

In this light, the actions of Tsunami Democràtic are notable: they demonstrate a tendency for a growing proportion of people to turn to creative forms of disruptive protest. These methods are typically open, fluid, without rigid structures. They represent novel attempts to articulate a voice when it appears that those in power are increasingly uninterested in listening.

The rise in mass civil disobedience movements such as Tsunami Democràtic is often talked about in relation to the idea, put forward by the political scientists Erica Chenoweth and Maria Stephan, that a campaign which attracts 3.5 per cent or more of the population will bring about change. This is in no small part thanks to Extinction Rebellion’s popularisation of this claim.

Whether or not this is true, in the case of Catalonia, the proportion of the population engaging in protest is already much higher than 3.5%. Conservative local police estimates indicate that there were more than 500,000 people participating in the marches for freedom during the last general strike: about 14 per cent of the Catalonian population.

Enabled by technology, such movements are becoming more organised and creative than ever. While there is no guarantee that these novel forms of protest will be successful, the recent news that fracking will be banned in the UK highlights the way that persistent, ongoing, coordinated and novel efforts to challenge those in power can result in surprisingly positive outcomes.

 
(Monica Clua Losada is Associate Professor in Global Political Economy, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley; David J Bailey&nbsp;Senior Lecturer in Politics, University of Birmingham)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-future-of-protest-is-high-tech-just-look-at-the-catalan-independence-movement-125776">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) &nbsp;

By Monica Clua Losada and David J Bailey People across the world are demonstrating their discontent in increasingly creative and disruptive ways. The past year has seen schoolchildren across the world join the Fridays for Future strikes, witnessing mass walkouts from schools across the globe.

By Monica Clua Losada and David J Bailey People across the world are demonstrating their discontent in increasingly creative and disruptive ways. The past year has seen schoolchildren across the world join the Fridays for Future strikes, witnessing mass walkouts from schools across the globe. In Chile, coordinated fare-dodging protests on public transport – also led by school pupils – has now grown into mass unrest against the rising cost of living. During the past two weeks, protests have erupted across Lebanon in opposition to rising taxes, involving road blockades and a human chain across the country to illustrate the unity of the people. Something notable about these protests, from Chile to Lebanon to Catalonia, is that protesters are mobilising around far more than single issues. Their primary demands – from economic issues to climate change – are set against a backdrop of questioning the status quo more broadly. And it’s not just demands that are expanding: the ways in which civil disobedience and direct action are carried out is also becoming increasingly novel. A closer look at the continuing demonstrations in Catalonia illustrates the significance of this. Tsunami Democràtic In September, a new initiative was created in Catalonia: Tsunami Democràtic. Nobody fully seems to know where it came from or who was the organising force behind it. Those initially sharing its tweets came from different political families, including all three pro-independence parties, as well as some of those who had been imprisoned as a result of their involvement in the Catalan independence movement. Following its initial announcement, little was heard from Tsunami Democràtic besides occasional tweets highlighting the effectiveness of peaceful civil resistance. This changed on October 11 – the day the Supreme Court sentence against the Catalan leaders was expected – when Tsunami Democràtic released a song: “La Força de la Gent” (The Strength of the People). This echoed the spirit of the song “Agafant l’Horitzó” (Let’s take the Horizon), which was released prior to the independence referendum of October 1 2017. The group then started organising protests. So far, Tsunami Democràtic has only called three of the countless protests we’ve witnessed since Monday October 14, when sentences were announced against the seven government ministers as well as the speaker of the House and two civil society leaders. The first – and largest – protest was the occupation of Barcelona airport on the same day the sentences were announced. Some 155 flights were cancelled and the disruption caused to the airport was considerable, as the blocking of roads and of one of the terminals lasted well over six hours. On October 21 Tsunami Democràtic called another protest, with only a few hours’ notice, prompted by a surprise visit to Barcelona by Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sanchez. The protest had a simple demand – #SpainSitandTalk – following the weekend’s refusal by Sanchez to answer the Catalan president’s calls. High-tech protests The group’s great success in calling and enacting enormous protests at the drop of a hat has been enabled, to a large degree, by technology. It has used the messaging app Telegram with particular success, gathering over 385,000 subscribers. Telegram channels (which are designed to send information from a single source to subscribers) have become crucial sources of information and organising around the world. Tsunami Democràtic has also developed a new app designed to coordinate protests in real time depending on people’s locations. This proved so popular that its systems collapsed during the first few hours, as so many people tried to download it. The app, which has not been put to use yet, is accessible using QR codes that are shareable among up to ten users. This means that if one of the codes (or nodes) is acting suspiciously, the whole chain can be removed. It is designed to organise users (called water drops) into actions to create a “tsunami”. This could include the occupation of transport hubs (such as train stations or aiports), but also the coordination of demonstrations against specific events. The idea is quite a novelty, and has already gathered interest among tech communities. Tsunami Democràtic has already made waves. The Spanish Home Office has labelled it a terrorist organisation. Last week, the Guardia Civil (Spain’s paramilitary police force), closed down the Tsunami Democràtic website, and the home office minister announced that they are investigating who is behind it. So far, except for the musicians that appear in the song, and football manager Pep Guardiola’s video reading Tsunami’s manifesto, there are no other public faces. Changing seas We live in a time when protests are growing on a worldwide basis, often in response to undemocratic actions of governments. In this light, the actions of Tsunami Democràtic are notable: they demonstrate a tendency for a growing proportion of people to turn to creative forms of disruptive protest. These methods are typically open, fluid, without rigid structures. They represent novel attempts to articulate a voice when it appears that those in power are increasingly uninterested in listening. The rise in mass civil disobedience movements such as Tsunami Democràtic is often talked about in relation to the idea, put forward by the political scientists Erica Chenoweth and Maria Stephan, that a campaign which attracts 3.5 per cent or more of the population will bring about change. This is in no small part thanks to Extinction Rebellion’s popularisation of this claim. Whether or not this is true, in the case of Catalonia, the proportion of the population engaging in protest is already much higher than 3.5%. Conservative local police estimates indicate that there were more than 500,000 people participating in the marches for freedom during the last general strike: about 14 per cent of the Catalonian population. Enabled by technology, such movements are becoming more organised and creative than ever. While there is no guarantee that these novel forms of protest will be successful, the recent news that fracking will be banned in the UK highlights the way that persistent, ongoing, coordinated and novel efforts to challenge those in power can result in surprisingly positive outcomes. (Monica Clua Losada is Associate Professor in Global Political Economy, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley; David J Bailey Senior Lecturer in Politics, University of Birmingham) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

The future of protest is high tech

The Lebanese government faced calls to resign Thursday after thousands of furious demonstrators took to the streets across the country to protest dire economic conditions.

Public anger has simmered since parliament passed an austerity budget in July to help trim a ballooning deficit and flared on Thursday over plans to tax calls on messaging applications, forcing the government to axe the unpopular measure.

Across the country, demonstrators chanted the popular refrain of the 2011 Arab Spring protests: "The people demand the fall of the regime."

Protesters in the capital blocked the road to the airport with burning tyres, prompting a heavy deployment by security forces.

Near government headquarters in central Beirut, violent confrontations broke out between protesters and security forces as demonstrators tried to storm the building.

Security forces fired tear gas to disperse protesters after the Internal Security Forces (ISF) said clashes wounded 40 of its members.

Protesters also sparked a large blaze near the Mohammad al-Amin mosque in Downtown Beirut.

"We elected them and we will remove them from power," one protester told a local TV station.

"What unites us is the standard of living -- we are all destroyed," said another.

Besides the capital Beirut, protests erupted in the southern city of Sidon, the northern city of Tripoli and the Bekaa Valley, before spreading to other areas, the state-run National News Agency reported.

Telecommunications Minister Mohammad Choucair said that the government had reversed its decision to tax calls on messaging apps following the unrest.

The government is weighing a series of further belt-tightening measures it hopes will rescue the ailing economy and secure $11 billion in aid pledged by international donors last year.

It is expected to announce a series of tax hikes in the coming months as part of next year's budget.

Thursday's far-reaching protests prompted calls by senior officials for the government to resign, with influential Druze politician Walid Jumblatt saying he had urged the prime minister to step down.

Interior Minister Raya al-Hassan said the prime minister will deliver a speech on Friday.

"If this government falls, the government that will come after will not have better options," she said in a statement carried by NNA.

The education ministry said schools and universities would be closed on Friday.

Earlier on Thursday, Information Minister Jamal Jarrah had announced a 20-cent daily fee for messaging app users who made calls on platforms such as WhatsApp and Viber, sparking public outrage.

He told reporters after a cabinet session the move would bring $200 million annually into government coffers.

Lebanese digital rights group SMEX said the country's main mobile operators were already planning to introduce new technology that will allow them to detect whether users are trying to make internet calls using their networks.

"Lebanon already has some of the highest mobile prices in the region," SMEX said on Twitter.

The latest policy "will force users to pay for internet services twice", it added.

Growth in Lebanon has plummeted in the wake of repeated political deadlocks in recent years, compounded by the impact of eight years of war in neighbouring Syria.

"Most high-frequency indicators point towards a continuation of weak growth in 2019," the International Monetary Fund said Thursday.

Lebanon's public debt stands at around $86 billion, higher than 150 per cent of gross domestic product, according to the finance ministry.

Eighty per cent of that figure is owed to Lebanon's central bank and local banks.

Last month, banks and money exchange houses rationed dollar sales, sparking fears of a currency devaluation.

The Lebanese government faced calls to resign Thursday after thousands of furious demonstrators took to the streets across the country to protest dire economic conditions.

The Lebanese government faced calls to resign Thursday after thousands of furious demonstrators took to the streets across the country to protest dire economic conditions. Public anger has simmered since parliament passed an austerity budget in July to help trim a ballooning deficit and flared on Thursday over plans to tax calls on messaging applications, forcing the government to axe the unpopular measure. Across the country, demonstrators chanted the popular refrain of the 2011 Arab Spring protests: "The people demand the fall of the regime." Protesters in the capital blocked the road to the airport with burning tyres, prompting a heavy deployment by security forces. Near government headquarters in central Beirut, violent confrontations broke out between protesters and security forces as demonstrators tried to storm the building. Security forces fired tear gas to disperse protesters after the Internal Security Forces (ISF) said clashes wounded 40 of its members. Protesters also sparked a large blaze near the Mohammad al-Amin mosque in Downtown Beirut. "We elected them and we will remove them from power," one protester told a local TV station. "What unites us is the standard of living -- we are all destroyed," said another. Besides the capital Beirut, protests erupted in the southern city of Sidon, the northern city of Tripoli and the Bekaa Valley, before spreading to other areas, the state-run National News Agency reported. Telecommunications Minister Mohammad Choucair said that the government had reversed its decision to tax calls on messaging apps following the unrest. The government is weighing a series of further belt-tightening measures it hopes will rescue the ailing economy and secure $11 billion in aid pledged by international donors last year. It is expected to announce a series of tax hikes in the coming months as part of next year's budget. Thursday's far-reaching protests prompted calls by senior officials for the government to resign, with influential Druze politician Walid Jumblatt saying he had urged the prime minister to step down. Interior Minister Raya al-Hassan said the prime minister will deliver a speech on Friday. "If this government falls, the government that will come after will not have better options," she said in a statement carried by NNA. The education ministry said schools and universities would be closed on Friday. Earlier on Thursday, Information Minister Jamal Jarrah had announced a 20-cent daily fee for messaging app users who made calls on platforms such as WhatsApp and Viber, sparking public outrage. He told reporters after a cabinet session the move would bring $200 million annually into government coffers. Lebanese digital rights group SMEX said the country's main mobile operators were already planning to introduce new technology that will allow them to detect whether users are trying to make internet calls using their networks. "Lebanon already has some of the highest mobile prices in the region," SMEX said on Twitter. The latest policy "will force users to pay for internet services twice", it added. Growth in Lebanon has plummeted in the wake of repeated political deadlocks in recent years, compounded by the impact of eight years of war in neighbouring Syria. "Most high-frequency indicators point towards a continuation of weak growth in 2019," the International Monetary Fund said Thursday. Lebanon's public debt stands at around $86 billion, higher than 150 per cent of gross domestic product, according to the finance ministry. Eighty per cent of that figure is owed to Lebanon's central bank and local banks. Last month, banks and money exchange houses rationed dollar sales, sparking fears of a currency devaluation.

Lebanese government faces calls to resign as austerity protests spread

Lebanese police on Monday arrested a taxi driver suspected of killing British embassy worker Rebecca Dykes after attempting to rape her, according to officials and the national news agency.&nbsp;The Lebanese news agency said the Lebanese man had confessed to killing the young woman, who worked at the UK embassy in Beirut.

Dykes was last seen alive at a party in Gemmayzeh, a Beirut neighbourhood popular with foreign residents, on Friday night and left in a taxi.&nbsp;&quot;He picked her up in Gemmayzeh on Friday night, took her to Achrafieh then to the Metn highway and tried to rape her&quot;, the news agency said, referring to an expressway north of Beirut.

Her body was found dumped on the roadside there on Saturday evening.&nbsp;A senior security official had told AFP that strangulation was a possible cause of death and added that Dykes was found with a string tied around her neck.

The Lebanese news agency said the suspect was employed by a taxi company and was tracked down thanks to security cameras.&nbsp;The driver confessed to killing Dykes, it said.&nbsp;Such crime is rare in the Lebanese capital, a city which is considered generally safe, including for tourists and foreign residents.

A senior official had stressed that the murder was &quot;not politically motivated&quot;.&nbsp;A picture of the young woman, who worked at the British government&#39;s Department for International Development (DFID), was on the front pages of many UK papers Monday.

The British ambassador in Beirut, Hugo Shorter, expressed his grief in a statement and messages of support for her family and colleagues poured in from Beirut&#39;s shell-shocked diplomatic and aid community.&nbsp;&quot;We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Rebecca. We are doing all we can to understand what happened&quot;, the family said in a statement passed on by the Foreign Office.

Rebecca Dykes was last seen alive at a party in Gemmayzeh

Lebanese police on Monday arrested a taxi driver suspected of killing British embassy worker Rebecca Dykes after attempting to rape her, according to officials and the national news agency. The Lebanese news agency said the Lebanese man had confessed to killing the young woman, who worked at the UK embassy in Beirut. Dykes was last seen alive at a party in Gemmayzeh, a Beirut neighbourhood popular with foreign residents, on Friday night and left in a taxi. "He picked her up in Gemmayzeh on Friday night, took her to Achrafieh then to the Metn highway and tried to rape her", the news agency said, referring to an expressway north of Beirut. Her body was found dumped on the roadside there on Saturday evening. A senior security official had told AFP that strangulation was a possible cause of death and added that Dykes was found with a string tied around her neck. The Lebanese news agency said the suspect was employed by a taxi company and was tracked down thanks to security cameras. The driver confessed to killing Dykes, it said. Such crime is rare in the Lebanese capital, a city which is considered generally safe, including for tourists and foreign residents. A senior official had stressed that the murder was "not politically motivated". A picture of the young woman, who worked at the British government's Department for International Development (DFID), was on the front pages of many UK papers Monday. The British ambassador in Beirut, Hugo Shorter, expressed his grief in a statement and messages of support for her family and colleagues poured in from Beirut's shell-shocked diplomatic and aid community. "We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Rebecca. We are doing all we can to understand what happened", the family said in a statement passed on by the Foreign Office.

Lebanon arrests taxi driver over murder of British woman

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Lebanese police clash with anti-government protesters

The future of protest is high tech

Lebanese government faces calls to resign as austerity protests spread

Lebanon arrests taxi driver over murder of British woman