BEIRUT – A year ago, hundreds of thousands of Lebanese took to the streets protesting taxes and a rapidly deteriorating economic crisis.
A spontaneous and hopeful nationwide movement was born, denouncing an entire political establishment that had for decades pushed Lebanon toward collapse.Today, as crises multiply and the country dives deeper into uncertainty and poverty, protests seem to have petered out.
Even widespread anger over a devastating explosion at Beirut’s port on Aug. 4, blamed on government negligence, failed to re-ignite the movement.It is both bewildering and frustrating for those who believe only a sustained popular uprising can bring change in Lebanon.