Thousands of school teachers and public sector employees took to the streets across Lebanon today, demanding wage increases. The video above was shot in front of the telecommunications ministry this afternoon.
Today marked the 8th day of strikes in front of various government offices, spearheaded by various workers’ unions. The disruption has left many schools empty and the education ministry is worried official exams may now be delayed.
But the organizers say this week’s rallies will be nothing compared to the march that will be held tomorrow toward the Prime Minister’s office or “Grand Serail”beginning in the Barbir neighborhood at 11 AM. This could cause major traffic delays across the capital and workers say they won’t leave the streets until their demands have been met.
Will this rally dissipate from public consciousness as so many teachers strikes have in the past or– as some union enthusiasts have posed– could it build momentum with other causes and become a basis for a long-awaited Lebanese spring? To be fair, the weather has been unusually sunny this week.
