An estimated 250 Lebanese-Canadians in Ottawa have been gathering outside the Lebanese embassy and on Parliament Hill since Oct. 23 to show solidarity with protesters in the streets in Lebanon.
In Lebanon, the protests began on Oct. 17. People participating took to the streets in mass protests, demanding an overhaul of the country’s political system and accountability from politicians for decades of alleged corruption and economic mismanagement.
In Ottawa, activists gathered for the Lebanese Diaspora in North America Stand in Solidarity with Lebanon on Parliament Hill on Oct. 27. The event was hosted by the Lebanese Club of Ottawa (LCO),a non-profit organization that provides support and services for members of the community, along with organizations in Mississauga, Edmonton, Halifax and other parts of Canada and the United States.
The purpose of the protests in Canada and the U.S. is to show protesters in Lebanon that they are not alone, said Ahmad Araji, a graduate of Carleton University and founder of LCO.
“It’s just to show people back home that we are with them. Yes, we are in different countries. We are privileged, but we still feel the struggles that they are going through.” – Ahmad Araji, a graduate of Carleton University and founder of LCO
“A simple act of solidarity and unity goes a long way. This is just to show them that we are here, we hear them, and we will do whatever it takes to support them,” he added.
Austin Saghbini, a first-year law student at Carleton who has been attending the protests, said the corruption and mismanagement from the government is the reason many Lebanese people moved to Canada in the first place.
“Now it’s their chance for their voice to be heard and for their voice to count in their country,” he said.
“I’m sure many of us love our country and we hate to see the direction it’s going towards, so this is why it’s not a matter of importance . . . it’s more or less about getting our voices heard, and for us to support the country where we are from, and the fact that change needs to happen, or else maybe Lebanon will be destroyed.”
Jad Choufani, a fourth-year engineering student who has been participating in the protests, said he agrees.
“It’s very important because everybody that moved to Canada . . . did not move here by choice,” he said. “Everyone who moved here moved because they were looking for a certain something that Lebanon could not offer.”
The protests began in response to a set of regressive tax proposals made on Oct. 17—notably the quickly rescinded tax on internet-based calling services such as WhatsApp—and the government’s mismanagement of forest fires that erupted around the country in the days before.
According to Araji, however, the two incidents are not the beginning or the end of it.
“This protest didn’t just happen because there was a tax on WhatsApp,” he said. “It’s been building up because of 30 years of corruption. The trigger—the last straw—was the wildfire that happened back home.”
“Basic things that you’ve gotten used to in Canada, that you think are basic human needs or rights, are not available there because of the corrupt government,” Choufani added. “I’m talking infrastructure, I’m talking basic things like university, I’m talking healthcare—they’re not even close to being available in our country.”
Known as Lebanon’s “October revolution,” the movement has swelled, becoming the most comprehensive anti-government protests the country has seen, since the civil war ended in 1990. The protests also standout in terms of numbers and diversity of sect and class, and has forced the resignation of Prime Minister Saad Hariri.
According to Araji, however, more action by the government needs to take place.
“Personally, I want the entire political system to be changed,” he said. “Our prime minister did resign and that was the first step that [the protesters] wanted.”
“Now they’re at the point where they want all the major politicians to resign, not just the prime minister. They want the president to resign, they want all major party leaders to resign and be substituted by people who do not believe in religion or sect.”
Choufani said he agrees.
“At this point, I feel like all the people think the same way—we want to change the current government,” he said.
“All the people currently running this beautiful country—we want them to step down and we want to let somebody else do the job because we gave them a chance for more than 30 years now and they showed us that they don’t know how to run a country. Now it’s time for them to go home.”
“I feel this is the only thing that needs to change because with this change, everything else will follow.” – Jad Choufani, a fourth-year engineering student
Araji and Saghbini also said the protests are an important way to help Lebanese youth understand the importance of their voices.
“It’s super important that youths understand that they have rights,” Araji said. “It’s very important for them to know that politicians are their employees. Those are two points that sometimes people tend to forget, especially youth, because they’re not very involved.”
“People are the future of the country. We are the future of the country. Yes, we are living in Canada and all parts of the world, but we are the future.”
“The future generation can have lots of ideas that can make Lebanon better,” Saghbini added.
As the protests enter their fourth week back home, for Araji and many others, they are a sign of hope.
“The Lebanese tend to go back to Lebanon once a year for a month or two weeks and come back—that’s the only link they have to their homeland,” he said. “After this protest, everything changed. There’s hope for all of them to go back.”
“All of them were forced to come here because of the political and economic situation. Now there is a window of hope for them to go back to their families, to go back to their countries.”
Feature image by Paloma Callo.
