Thread by @LunaSafwan

1/International friends: this is when WE NEED YOU.

•The local media was not allowed to cover the protests of Tripoli last night.
•The army was given orders to use bullets against protestors.
#Lebanon #lebanonprotests #Tripoli
#لبنان_ينتفض
#ليله_سقوط_المصارف

2/ Tripoli, the second largest city in #Lebanon is located in the North.

•Tripoli suffers from poverty.
•Local political figures all neglected Tripoli: Saad Hariri, Najib Mikati, the Karami family.

#Lebanon #lebanonprotests #Tripoli
#لبنان_ينتفض
#ليله_سقوط_المصارف

3/ #Tripoli suffered for years from a deadly conflict that resulted many deaths:
•The Bab al-Tabbaneh–Jabal Mohsen conflict.
•It took the city years to reconcile.
•The city's societies started blossoming with an active civil society.
#Lebanon #lebanonprotests #لبنان_ينتفض

4/ However, the only thing that did not change in #Tripoli was poverty and all the broken promises by local political parties.

That same poverty drove hundreds of young men from Tripoli to fight in #Syria supporting the Syrian opposition.

5/ Being involved in those fights as men from #Tripoli, the city started being labeled as a city hosting 'terroristic groups' or 'ISIS operatives'.

A stigma that resulted more neglect, more stereotypes regardless of all the local civil society efforts.

6/ Which leads us to last night -#Tripoli has been suffering for years. As a journalist I attest to the fact that some areas in the city are the poorest I have ever seen in #Lebanon.

Poverty --> Hunger-->Anger --> Violence. That is why riots are starting. #Lebanonprotests

7/ Not #COVID19 not few packs of aid and no fake promises will work for #Tripoli.

Last night protestors targeted local banks - not 1 shop.

The army has been given strict orders not to allow any road blocks even in Tripoli's protest square.

Tension started.

8/ The Lebanese army's job is to protect people - the amount of bullets fired last night reminded me of the sound of bullets in Tripoli's clashes (mentioned in this thread).

There is no justification.
The people will hold the army responsible.
No entity is untouchable Anymore.