The year 2019 has been witnessing a wave of protests across different countries around the world: Algeria, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Eygpt, France, Haiti, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, Russia, and Spain.
Civil unrests seem to be everywhere as so many societies have had enough of oppression, injustice, corruption, and abuse of power in their countries.
Thousands of people have joined these rolling protests for months now demanding radical changes calling to get out of corruption, poor economies, political autonomy and other miseries they have been enduring for decades.
Among the sea of protesters who have taken to the streets, some have turned into protest symbols, even if they were not the leaders of these protests, gaining international fame.
Among all of them, BBC selected 5 of the most prominent faces from protests happening in Chile, Iraq, Colombia, and Lebanon.
The Lebanese father who was killed at the feet of his young son and in front of his family during a peaceful protest in Beirut, Alaa Abou Fakher, was selected one of the five most important faces.
Abou Fakher was widely mourned across Lebanon for weeks, by the people and by artists immortalizing him in different types of art on the streets and on social media.
His demise was heartbreaking to all who didn’t even know him in person. He became one of the symbols of the Lebanese revolution.
According to BBC, the top 5 prominent figures from the worldwide protests are Alaa Abou Fakher from Lebanon, Daniela Carrasco alias La Mimo from Chile, Safaa Al-Saray from Iraq, Médecin Bénévole from Hong Kong, and Dilan Cruz from Colombia.
Alaa Abou Fakher is the third martyr of the Lebanese revolution who was killed on the 27th day of this revolution that kicked off on the 17th of October due to the deteriorating life situation demanding the fall of the regime.
On that day, Abou Fakher who was one of the peaceful and active protesters were shot in the head and killed allegedly by a member of the Lebanese Army.
Like all who took to the streets expressing their reactions over the president’s remarks and comments in a televised interview that day, Alaa was protesting in Khaldeh along with his family.
Alaa Abou Fakher’s tragic death in front of his family caused a wave of nationwide anger and bought the Lebanese protesters even closer together, united and stronger than ever.
The protesters gathered hand in hand across Lebanon, lighting candles and praying for the revolution martyr each in her/his own way, as well as paying tribute to him in many touching moves across Lebanon.
In Tripoli, artist Ghayath Ruby, along with other painters, painted a mural of Alaa Abu Fakhr and his wife and son on the wall of Al-Ghandour building, adjacent to Al-Nour Square.
Lebanese activists and protesters even closed all roads on November 14 and made a national funeral for Alaa Abou Fakher at 6 PM in Martyrs’ square, bidding farewell to their peaceful and active protester and martyr.
Alaa Abou Fakher is the third who was killed in the Lebanese revolution after Hussein al-Attar, and Omar Zakaria, who are all considered the martyrs of the 17 October Lebanese Revolution.
They died for their country, for the better Lebanon we all seek to live in and honor, a Lebanon where we all can live in dignity like this great nation of ours deserves.
