General strike in Lebanon in protest of deteriorating living conditions

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The Lebanese Labor Union organizes a warning general strike Thursday, with the participation of economic bodies, merchant associations, and the Association of Banks in Lebanon in protest of the deteriorating economic conditions.

Union President Bechara al-Asmar said that "the union will make a number of movements," as there will be "gatherings in various Lebanese regions that will raise their voice loudly," explaining that "the main address is the formation of a rescue government."

"We are not fans of blocking roads, but we want to raise our voice, as killing without bullets is practiced against the Lebanese people," Al-Asmar stressed.

The labor union demanded that employees and workers be allowed to participate in this day to express rejection of the state of collapse at all levels and demanding the formation of a technocrat government, away from quotas and factionalism.

Several unions, including the union of workers and employees of oil installations in Zahrani, employees of the National Social Security Fund, fuel distributors, the union of unions for the insurance and social security sector, the union of employees and workers of grain silos in the port of Beirut, and the union of workers and employees of common transport, announced their commitment to the strike.

Some political parties called for participation in the general strike, as the Progressive Socialist Party called for a commitment to the strike, calling for the widest participation in the movement that it will establish in the Chouf region. Amal Movement and Future Movement announced their support for the strike.

According to the United Nations, Lebanon is facing several economic crises, as half of the Lebanese live in poverty, while the acute poverty level rose from 8% in 2019 to 23% in 2020. 

The Prime Minister in the caretaker government in Lebanon, Hassan Diab, said Wednesday that "in light of obstructing any country trying to help Lebanon, solutions to its crisis become very difficult, especially in the absence of an existing government that has authorities."

He continued, "What we see in the streets is frightening and provides a model for the absence of the state," noting that "people fill the void and this is frightening, and its consequences are catastrophic."

The file of forming the expected government is still stumbling. In the last hours, it witnessed additional obstacles, especially with the tension between the Presidency of the Republic and the speaker of the House of Representatives.

Lebanon is suffering from a stifling crisis, politically and economically, as a result of the Lebanese pound falling against the United States dollar. The Lebanese live in a state of fear as a result of reports indicating that the Banque du Liban will be lifting subsidies or rationalizing them on food commodities, medicines, and oil derivatives.