In the northern coast town of Tripolis, in Beirut and in the southern city of Sidon, dozens of protesters took to the street in spontaneous unrests, against the dire living conditions that have grown increasingly unbearable for the past years, also with the US sanctions. The old state deploying the military is a sign for the current destabilization of the Lebanon, that many forces hostile to the Lebanese people will try to use for their advantage.
In Tripolis, some protesters managed to break into the building of the central bank and could only be driven of by the military. The lit aflame the entrance to a government building and tried to break into the houses of two functionaries. Reports even tell about protesters trowing a grenade, injuring two soldiers. The military troops have been increased all over Tripolis and in other towns, a clear sign that the government is loosing control over the protests.
The protests were sparked by the recent additional decrease in the value of the Lebanese pound, that has led amongst other things to an increase in the price of bread. The Lebanese pound lost 90 per cent of its value since October 2019. The reason are the current sanctions by US imperialism and it’s allies, the European imperialists. But also it’s puppets, like Saudi Arabia.
For the Lebanese people, this meant one of the heaviest financial crisis since the 1990ies, as seen with the incredibly high unemployment rate. There are ongoing protests and since the explosion on the port of Beirut on the 4th of August 2020, the ruling classes have struggled to form a new parliament.
The anger of the Libanese masses is justified. It is inspired by the glorious history of the Lebanese people’s struggles, and the masses express clearly that what they want is revolution. But without revolutionary leadership, these people’s struggles will be used by the imperialists, trying to strengthen their grip on the countries of the so-called “middle east” in their struggle for the redistribution of the colonies. Have they not done the same in Syria and Egypt and many other Arab countries?
The revolutionary leadership that the masses need has to lead the fiercest struggle against the imperialist plans for destabilization and “regime change”, and mainly against US imperialism.
Long live international solidarity!
Down with imperialism, mainly US imperialism!
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