Lebanon’s Protestors Make History and Form a Human Chain Across the Entire Country
On Sunday, the people of Lebanon surprised the whole world when 170,000 of them got together to form a human chain running from the country’s north to its south.
From Akkar to Sidon, running through Beirut, Tripoli, and Dbyaeh, the 170-kilometer long-chain symbolizes the people’s unity against corruption as well as sectarianism. For the first time in what seems as an eternity, the people of Lebanon got together despite ethnic, religious, or social differences. All over the chain, protestors draped themselves in the Lebanese flag singing the national anthem.
The idea of a human chain was inspired by smaller chains created by Lebanese women throughout the October Revolution to prevent male protestors from clashing with the authorities. It is a message of love and hope; it is a new Lebanon in the making.
Participants began joining hands in the early afternoon, and by 4 P.M. Beirut time, the chain was complete.
The massive chain did not cut through major roads or cause disruptions of any kind. On the contrary, the organizers made sure not to paralyze day-to-day life in key cities. The human chain was formed along Lebanon’s main coastal highway.
The chain formed naturally, with protestors from Lebanon’s many districts driving to the highway to participate. According to Dr. Sally Hammoud, one of the event’s organizers, the initiative took only two days to organize.
Despite the event’s success, there were some obstacles, the organizers found out that keeping people holding hands for hours proved to be difficult, but nonetheless, it was possible, and it brought hope to the people of Lebanon.
“For the first time ever, I sat on the streets, and I felt more at home than in my actual house,” Yara Khawam, an actress and organizer, said to CNN. “This human chain was proof of all of that. Today was officially the best day of my life.” She stated.
