Lebanon: Protestors organise grand Christmas dinner at Martyr's Square in Beirut

Volunteers cooked under a Christmas tree adorned with symbols of the uprising and served a grand dinner to nearly 1,000 people in Martyrs' Square in Beirut on the night of December 23. These small initiatives by the volunteers have offered people hope who are struggling amidst Lebanon's worst economic and financial crisis since the country's 15-year civil war. The currency has reportedly depreciated by nearly 30 per cent since September over its pegged rate to the dollar.

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Even though the volunteers tried their best to make this Christmas, a merry one for the Lebanese people by donating clothes, sweeping trash from the central square, and serving food to the needy, for many the day remained bitter. In the past few months, many businesses have shut down, while many had to lay-off workers and reduce their scale of operations. 

Some of the workers were even paid just half of their salaries. A dollar shortage has also led banks to introduce informal capital controls on both dollars as well as the local currency. The economic conditions of the country have left many people unable to withdraw their meagre earnings and shaking confidence in the country's banking system which is a long seen pillar of stability. 

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Political unrest in Lebanon

The economic collapse has been escalated by the country's continuing political crisis which has rocked the country since October 29 when the former Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigned amidst the demonstrations. The protestors are demanding improved social services and equality. The protest started over a surge in the subway fares which has escalated to a massive form demanding a broad range of changes.

Some groups even clashed with the police in the capital. The demonstrators brought the traffic to a halt on some roads and affected many commuters. According to the reports, Finance Minister Ignacio Briones, who was heading to Congress in the port city of Valparaiso stepped down from his vehicle to talk to the truck drivers. He said that the people are facing huge social demands and they are all aware of that. He added that the people are having a really tough time in each and every sector.  A maximum number of the protests were peaceful but some have turned violent. 

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(With AP inputs)