It appears the last straw has been drawn for citizens of Lebanon who yesterday flooded the streets to protest against the mismanagement of the country’s economy and the recent tax imposed on calls via social apps. Two individuals have been reported dead while dozens sustained injuries.
Going by the dire economic straits of the country with Lebanon currently ranked as the country with the highest debt profile and the state of unemployment and the recent wildfires that scorched the Chouf Mountains, the citizens appear to have reached the limit.
The tilting point was when the government proposed a $0.20 daily tax on calls made via WhatsApp and similar apps. The protesters then took to the streets to demand the resignation of their Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri and close associates in what can be described as the country’s largest protest since 2015.
Major roads across the nation’s capital, Beirut witnessed a locked-down and several businesses and schools have been shut down as a result.
The proposed tax has now been withdrawn and the Prime Minister has given a 72-hour ultimatum for the ruckus to be defused.
