Threats to protesters in downtown Beirut have not stopped the organization of discussion and dialogue sessions that have receded due to the stormy weather.
A parking lot in the area of Azarieh in the city center has been transformed into an open space for discussions since the beginning of the protests in October. People of all walks of life, of different ages and orientations, gather there under tents to participate in debates on social, economic and political issues.
Ali, a frequent participant, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the weather had “little effect on the discussions that were being held in the squares, which remained a gathering point for young people, who discuss various issues related to public affairs.”
He noted that gatherings were now concentrated in front of the Central Bank, the Association of Banks and other public landmarks.
Attempts to silence the discussions, through a series of previous attacks in which several tents were burnt, have not achieved their goal.
Over the past few days, civil society groups organized discussions, including “Beirut Madinati” and “Citizens of a Country”, and the topics varied from one tent to another, but most of them revolved around the economic and political conditions in the country.
Ziad Abdel Samad, an activist, told Asharq Al-Awsat: “The importance of these dialogues lies in the diversity of the participants in terms of age, intellectual orientation and factional belonging. In the tents there are individuals from the private sector, workers, investors, intellectuals, university professors, students and others.”
Among the topics discussed are the causes of the uprising, the alternative to the current system, unions, the political and popular path, the new government, the mechanism for monitoring its performance, and many others.
