Days of Thawra

Like all the people affected by what has been happening in Lebanon since October 17, I've been watching the news for 8 days, picking up videos and anecdotes in my Facebook and Instagram feeds. The first few days were remarkable, with their share of burnt tires and masked demonstrators . Beirut has been in turmoil for 8 days. It is the thawra , the revolution. Thursday 24, the day before this Day # 9, I finally take a ticket for Beirut. I arrive Friday afternoon on this side of the Mediterranean. The weather is good in Beirut, the air is a little thick, enveloping me as I expected. It's still a bit of summer here. I go downtown. It's party.
Place des Martyrs, a large stage sees the tribunes of an evening parade. In the crowd, groups chant their own songs, with "Hela hela ho, Gebran Bassil, kess emmo", "Thawra! Thawra! Thawra!", "Kellon ya3ne kellon" ... Higher in the parking lot in front of DHL , universities, NGOs and members of civil society have taken power, citizen discussions are taking place under tents as fragile as necessary. Like this revolution.

The Lebanese people have seized power in the city center. In Furn el-Chebbak, I take a favor. I ask "Thawra": the word which designates the revolution quickly became a geographical place for the drivers. Drivers who - all without exception during my 8 days in Beirut - say they are against this revolution, "filled with drug addicts and prostitutes". The classic discourse of Amal's supporters
The Lebanese came from all over the country to demonstrate in Beirut. In Tripoli in the north and in Nabatiyeh in the south, similar scenes. In Beirut, the city center quickly turned into a fair: street vendors, screen printing t-shirt printers. the time is still for a certain recklessness ...