Students Lead New Wave of Protests In Lebanon

Lebanese university students are beginning to gain greater prominence in the protests that began last Oct. 17 by massively claiming the right to "build" a future without the rulers who have led the nation to the economic collapse.

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Hundreds of them, waving Lebanese flags, have taken on the streets as "Lebanese" and now also as "students" following the main goal of not to rest until every vestige of the regime is eliminated.

The march started today from the Lebanese University, the only public institution in the country, with a vehicle with loudspeakers leading the students and five people leaning out of the windows dressed with accessories that made reference to the different religions within Lebanon.

"We are here to ask our teachers to join us, to go out to the streets, to ask for more funds, because there is no money for laboratories, for research, and we are able to do it," Ocean el Shaar said.

The 22-year-old engineer student also protested the payment of school fees in dollars, a latent concern for most students who demand that it be in the local currency, Lebanese pounds.

Currently, most consumed products in Lebanon are imported and paid for in U.S. currency, but banks have limited availability of dollars due to lack of liquidity.

Also, many of the banking institutions have closed again today, after two weeks with the gates cast at the beginning of the protests.

On the other hand, on Tuesday Parliament suspended a session that would deal with numerous measures aimed at decongesting institutional paralysis and fighting corruption in the country, one of the reasons why Lebanon is one of the most indebted countries in the world.