This archive report was first published on 19 October 2019.
On October 19, 2019, thousands of protesters gathered in the capital Beirut, Lebanon, demanding a sweeping overhaul of the country's political system.
The protests, which began on Thursday, were sparked by a proposed 20 cent tax on calls via messaging apps such as WhatsApp. Despite the government's swift abandonment of the tax, the demonstrations quickly swelled into the largest in years.
Prime Minister Saad Hariri has given his coalition partners until Monday evening to give their backing to a reform package aimed at shoring up the government's finances and securing the disbursement of desperately needed economic assistance from donors.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah responded to the protests, saying, "We don't want the resignation of the government if the resignation means there is no government," and calling for Lebanese to work together.
Parts of central Beirut looked like a war zone, littered with broken glass, overturned litter bins, and the remains of burning tyres. Banks and many restaurants and shops remained closed.
Lebanon has one of the highest public debt burdens in the world, with a debt of around $86 billion, more than 150 percent of gross domestic product. The government is trying to reach agreement on a package of belt-tightening measures to cap the deficit in next year's budget.
