October 17th Revolution – Lebanon Is Rising – 2/2

The revolution was peaceful and people were all civilized and respectful, they recycled, they cleaned the roads each day, they sang and danced and revolted in style. Despite all the main roads were blocked, people always have alternative roads to take and there was no riot or assaults.
It remains peaceful and civilized until they send us their sheep to beat the protesters and create problems so they accuse us that we want chaos and  disorder and succeed to separate us.

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  The Internal security officer is afraid of him! He’s here to beat the protesters

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  they even did yoga!

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  they recycled

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  they cleaned others mess!

This was phase 2 after phase one: “Denial” didn’t work at all. People were stubborn; they refused to open the roads because the rulers were ignoring us, disrespecting us! They claimed that we are few and since we made our point, we should go back to our homes. It’s enough!
While we insisted first to have the government resignation, then to have an independent technocrat government to bring back the stolen money and rule this country without corruption until we have an early parliamentary elections and elect new and decent people. And they kept asking us: “What do you want” and treat us in a very naive way!

To explain to you a bit that it’s not as simple as it seems, Lebanon is a part of a big conflict in the Middle East between Iran and United States. Basically now, Hezbollah and Aoun are running the country (Michel Aoun is the president of republic that supports Hezbollah and Gebran Bassil is the leader of the The Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) also known as the Aounist party that has the majority in the parliament) This compromise was made by prime minister Hariri and the other political parties that are a part of the parliament and government. So for FMP and all their allies, these protesters are all spies for United States and Israel, we are traitors and a part of a big plan to destroy Hezbollah! And their opponent parties in the parliament are also part of this conspiracy, in other meaning, we are all allies to these parties despite we are shouting day and night “All of them means all of them”

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This came phase 3 when they accused us that we are working with foreign embassies, they are funding us! They are helping us to destroy the current regime as a favor for Israel. How can you beat such accusations? They are awful! This what led the revolutionists that belong to these parties to leave the revolution because they believed that we are all traitors! And they started to throw stones on us and accuse us and many times beat us and burn the tents that protesters are sleeping in, spread lies and rumors to terrify people and force them to go back home!  

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  they burned the revolution hand

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  we built another one

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  and we risen as the phoenix bird

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  we made from the metal left from fire a phoenix bird!

ِAnd here we are! The new one

they are destroying the tents and the video is saying we will rebuild them

Then it comes the civil war threat! Phase 4!  This card is played each time the head of religious parties in Lebanon are threatened to lose their crowns! What is better than threat with civil war and play this symphony, then send their sheep to the streets to make it reel! But the peaceful people don’t want war, they want a real country, they want one united Lebanon! So they failed again in separating us and each and every person that acted like animals, was sent and paid by them and again they fail to destroy our revolution

this is how they arrive! Everybody sees them but nobody adopt them!

the mothers of 2 sensitive areas one Muslim and one Christian decided to abort this attempt, this threat of civil war! They proved that nobody want wars except the rulers!

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  what they tried to do vs. what the mothers did!

It’s important to mention that  there are some parties have used the revolution to fight their opponent (FMP and allies) but it doesn’t mean that the revolution purpose is that, the purpose is to get rid of all of them even those who are using the revolution to score some points.
This was the revolution motto  “Kellon Yeeni Kelloun” “All of them means all of them”.
The Prime Minister Hariri resigned on October 29^th against the will of Hezbollah and FMP, so we realized our first goal but we needed to continue to realize the other goals mentioned before. Especially having our stolen money back!  The money that they kept stealing for years until we reached the bankruptcy!  

Lebanese protested all over the world! first shot is a Lebanese girl kicked a bodyguard, first days of revolution here in Lebanon

What happened to the money?

Of course on October 18^th morning while nobody would have guessed that few protestations that happened last night will lead to a revolution, the banks closed! We were so surprised, the protesters were peaceful but they used the revolution as a pretext to close, they made many arrangements, like the restrictions on bank transfers, the banks that are all owned by politicians have sent their money outside Lebanon! Billions of dollars left Lebanon, while we are claiming to have the stolen money back, they sent what is remaining! And what happened? The banks opened after 10 days from the revolution with strict rules on cash, suddenly the US dollars is a black market (we are a country that deals equally with Lebanese Pounds and US dollars, all our businesses, payments, loans, etc.. are in US dollars). Suddenly we are begging for our money! They held our money hostages! No money in ATMs, only Lebanese pounds and with limits, you need to go and stand in line so you can have 200$ per week and sometimes you don’t! Checks cannot be paid cash, you are forced to put them in account and you can’t withdraw the money you put! They stopped the circulation in country, the traders can’t pay for their merchandises, the people can have US dollars but from black market which is stealing and they are losing lot of money, we can’t transfer money inside or outside Lebanon! It’s a disaster and it didn’t change until this moment. Our money is hostage while the politicians smuggled their money and created a crisis, a crisis that was already there because we are bankrupted but it wasn’t declared! The money that the banks used to land to the government is wasted, year after year, the debt kept increasing until we fell apart and this is why they were desperate to impose more taxes including Whatsapp and they were announcing that we will face bad days in the upcoming months, because they didn’t know from where to bring money after they stole it all during the years! And of course the sheep that belong to them accused the revolution of this situation we reached!  

Today In front of the Bank Of Lebanon, the mastermind of this entire banks game

Despite all this, they are still fighting with each other’s instead of leaving and save what is left of their non-existed dignity! They brought a prime minister after Hariri faced problems to be back, even though the revolutionists don’t want him but since our country is all based on religions and quotas, Hariri is a part of the political compromise we’ve been living in for years! And he has many followers so they protested for few days and the real revolutionists left because we are against them all. Same when the supporters of other parties invade the roads screaming the names of their leaders and beating the peaceful protesters and the Internal Security as well as army can hardly stop them!

This prime minister is brought by Hezbollah and Bassil, because the other parties abstained and Hariri refused to nominate an alternative so there’s a big problem even the protesters don’t want him but they are waiting to see the government, if it will be from independent and competent people which is hard to be achieved knowing who’s forming this government! But now we are in the heart of the crisis and we are afraid to make it worse if we refused a government that didn’t born yet.

we made a human chain all over Lebanon!

Lebanese people are struggling to live, no money, no work, many lost their work or having half salary now, we expect many companies and restaurants and institutions to close during next month, many people committed suicide and many others are trying to help as much as they can, we created hotlines, applications, we sent numbers and contacts for people that can help so we can stand with each other’s so no one takes their life because they have no money to pay the rent, the school, the food! We are doing what the government should do! but instead they are still in process of checking their quotas and their parts in the new government they are fighting each other’s and the country is drowning, But this time, the people won’t give up, we have nothing to lose! In few days many will be jobless, many are already hungry and unemployed from years! So it’s either we have a decent country or we die trying!

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  these people were killed by the supporters of the ruling parties

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  They shot this man in front of his son, wife and sister! The Big picture in the left is him. The aunt is covering the son eyes!

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  Christmas dinner for free!

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  Doctors committee to protect protesters

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  if you feel desperate, hungry, you need hospital, money…contact these people

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  write this number on your hand if you’re arrested or someone you know, they might take your mobile, a lawyer will defend you

We are confronting people that want their leaders more than their country, we want a real country and this is something they cannot accept! They made fortunes, they built empires, bank accounts in every corner while our country is bankrupt as we are now.
The international community will not help us without imposing their conditions of course and anyway these rulers don’t deserve any help! But it’s too bad that the Lebanese citizens and families keep paying a huge price. We’ve been through a lot and we are still dreaming of a real country, maybe we should have revolted way before but we always had battles to fight and we trusted the wrong people so hopefully this revolution will lead to a real country eventually.

Don’t forget why we started, they beaten us, oppressed us but we will continue!

Lebanon has risen, the revolution has already won, it has succeeded by making them start working for the country, even if we will not have immediate results, but now they are afraid, they know that the people are waiting for them and we will not tolerate them! If they kept the same way and the same attitude, we will be waiting and we will punish them!Already the lawyers elected a president of Beirut Bar association from the heart of revolution a free and decent man that we are so proud of!

The amazing Tripoli! from day 1 until now non stop!

I wrote this so you all know who the Lebanese people are and so you don’t believe what you read in international media or any media that doesn’t support us. We are free, we are peaceful, we are survivors, fighters and we really had enough, lost enough and suffered enough!

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Thank you for reading! Have a great new year 2020 and pray for us 🙏🙏

Huguette Antoun – December 30th 2019