Lebanon: Students join anti-govt. protests, refuse to attend classes

Hundreds of Lebanon school and university students on November 6 refused to attend classes and have started to join anti-government protests. Many students gathered in front of the education ministry in the capital Beirut and demanded the removal of a political class that is seen as incompetent and corrupt, as per local reports. The students have decided to remain in the streets until they are certain that the government is not stealing their money as they believe that that the ministers and officials are taking big cuts from the educational institutions. 

On Wednesday, Lebanon saw crowds streaming into a central square in the southern city of Sidon. In a school in the resort town of Jounieh, protestors also mobilized against the school governors accusing them of banning participation in the protests. Protests reportedly also took place in the southern city of Tyre and Nabateih. A smaller group of demonstrators had also gathered near the central bank, accusing it of aggravating the country's economic crisis. The protesters have been demanding that politicians be held responsible for decades of economic mismanagement and alleged corruption. 

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Competing rallies 

Earlier this week, competing rallies were held in Lebanon where thousands of protesters gathered in front of the presidential palace to support President Michel Aoun, while others gathered in downtown Beirut. The protestors aimed to sweep the country's political elite from power and called for the government to speed up the political transition following Prime Minister Saad Hariri's resignation. The demonstrators have also reportedly called for a general strike on Monday to pressurize the political leaders. 

The protests on Sunday were one of the largest protests in Beirut. The demonstrators closed a main highway north of Beirut and other street intersections. The demonstrations continue even after the Lebanon Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced his resignation from the post on Tuesday. His resignation was celebrated in Beirut, however, chaos reigned in downtown Beirut when a mob stormed into the main protest site in the city, setting fire in the area and tearing up tents.

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