Lebanon’s protesters offer safety tips, support for US demonstrators

  • 2020-06-02 20:12:35
Lebanese activists have taken to social media to share their support and safety tips in solidarity with mass protests that erupted in the US last week over the death of George Floyd. On 25 May, Floyd, an unarmed black American man in Minneapolis, died after he was pinned to the ground by a white police officer, who pressed his knee into Floyd’s throat for eight minutes and 46 seconds. Protests erupted in more than 75 cities across the US in response, with demonstrators rallying against racial-based police brutality. In recent days, tens of thousands of protesters have clashed with riot police and the National Guard. Vehicles and buildings have been set ablaze and looted, while hundreds of protesters were arrested and injured. Police have responded by firing stun grenades and tear gas canisters into crowds. In Lebanon, the Arabic hashtag for “America revolts” became one of the top trending Twitter tags over the past week, echoing the “Lebanon revolts” hashtag, a slogan from the 17 October uprising. One Lebanese activist and human rights technologist, Sarah Aoun, who currently lives in Brooklyn, compiled a comprehensive thread of tweets outlining safety precautions combined by Lebanese activists and protesters. Drawing on experience of protesting in Lebanon, the advice includes everything from “items to keep in your bag”, such as “onions to inhale if teargas gets you in the face” and soda water to wash chemicals off skin, to legal advice. Aoun suggests having a lawyer’s phone number accessible in the event of being arrested and recommends preparing both an exit strategy from the area and a meeting point in case groups become separated. Other users posted messages of solidarity. One Beirut-based activist, Sara Rayes, wrote: “from Lebanon, Hong Kong, and Chile to Minneapolis and every other place that might need it #BlackLivesMatter … with lots and lots of love for all the people everywhere fighting for human rights”. Others were quick to draw similarities between protest movements in the US and Lebanon. One Lebanese writer, Joelle Sheikh, documented similarities between the protest movements. Sheikh claimed there are seven major points of comparison, one being “a history of injustice and one triggering event” – In Lebanon, the imposition of a tax on online calls through applications such as WhatsApp, and in America, the death of George Floyd.  

Related