At the early morning hours of Tuesday, January 14, Lebanese protesters initiated their promised Anger Week.
They occupied and blocked main streets and highways, and demonstrated in front of banks while chanting against their unjust policies and the government.
The first day of Anger Week, with its enraged marches and heated encounters, has been the center of attention in Lebanon – and rightfully so.
The final warning to the politicians of this country ought to attract their attention and deliver them the message that their clock is ticking. However, as was evident today, anger is not what ‘Anger Week’ is all about.
While images of violent incidents are the ones mostly making it to social media and by the media, there is another side that is being hindered; the one we got used to witnessing during this revolution.
The Lebanese protesters with their trademark pacifism, even if furious with the authority, and despite the random incidents of vandalism, have not suddenly turned into bloodthirsty monsters intent on destruction and violence.
Despite its scary name, the event has not been free from ‘joyful’ demonstrations, and the beautiful shows of compassion and civility that have been abundant since the beginning of the October 17 Revolution.
For instance, while the angry protesters of Jal El-Dib were marching and yelling and taking over streets, some mothers in that city teamed up behind the scenes to lend motherly support.
They bustled cooking meals that were later distributed among the protesters in the street; a heartwarming initiative not unlike the image that we’ve grown used to seeing from the Lebanese revolution.
Such small, wholesome individual efforts show that this revolution is positively different from many other revolutions of the world.
This revolution is civil, not savage and not destructive. It is built upon a resilient base, which is the mutual benefit of all those who take part in it.
It is through such lovely endeavors that you can be sure that you’ve entrusted the process of rebuilding the country to the right people.
That is because these people truly care about one another and their country. They know that upon the shoulders of each and every one of them lies the responsibility to forge a better future.
This future is closer to us than ever, thanks to the revolution. With the compassion and solidarity of its protesters, the Lebanese revolution defies violence and hatred, and pushed onward to pave the road towards a Lebanon of love and peace.
