MESOPOTAMIA NEWS LEBANON : Economic Woes Ignite Protests Across Lebanon
Top of the Agenda  28 Apr 2020
Lebanese protesters clashed with security forces and set fire to banks in Tripoli during one of more than two dozen demonstrations (Al Jazeera) in the country since Sunday. Demonstrators aired fresh grievances about Lebanon’s plummeting currency after the government began easing coronavirus-related movement restrictions (AP).

The Lebanese pound has lost half its value in the past six months, while food prices have recently surged. The coronavirus lockdown halted a protest movement (FP) that began in October to denounce the country’s corruption and economic crisis. Authorities said fifty-four security force members were wounded in recent protests and one protester was shot dead.
Analysis
“Human Rights Watch has warned millions could go hungry unless the government puts forward a robust social-safety net. But when the cabinet sought to get approval for a large spending bill at a parliament session earlier this month, quorum was lost and the decision postponed,” Timour Azhari writes for Al Jazeera.

“How long the pandemic lasts, and how governments and activists respond, will dictate whether the interruption represents a fleeting pause, a moment of metamorphosis, or an unceremonious end for some of the most widespread mass mobilizations in recent history,” Vivian Wang, Maria Abi-Habib, and Vivian Yee write for the New York Times.

CFR’s Brad W. Setser looks at potential pathways out of Lebanon’s economic crisis.