Cries of celebration went up across Lebanon on Tuesday as protesters demanding the fall of the government celebrated Prime Minister Saad Hariri's resignation - though most said this was merely an initial victory in a long-term battle.
Hariri isn't the one who's sending his people to beat us up and destroy what we have. Those people are still in Parliament and we need to finish what we've started there," Mouzannar said, sitting next to a tent being reconstructed by protesters.
For thirteen days, Lebanese from across the country's sectarian and political divides have been pouring onto the streets and blocking major roads to call for the resignation of the government and for the ruling elite to be held accountable for decades of corruption.
For a broad swath of the protesters, a main demand has been the formation of a government of independent experts to guide the country through a worsening economic and financial crisis and secure basic services such as electricity and water.
"At least Hariri opened the door for a possible solution, because we were in total deadlock and … behaving as if nothing happened and doing business as usual was not a solution."
Now, the biggest issue is how Lebanon - one of the world's most highly indebted nations, with public debt at more than 150 percent of GDP - can avoid financial collapse, he said.
Lebanon's Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh on Monday said the country needed a solution to the crisis within days to avoid a financial collapse.
"The only real way forward for Lebanon is to appoint a government that can move on from the disruption of this revolution and restore the confidence with the people and the international community," Nader said.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/10/lebanese-protesters-celebrate-hariri-resignation-191029203414584.html
s after nearly two weeks of nationwide anti-corruption protests. Says country needs "big shock" to system