With Lebanon In Deadlock, Protesters Form Human Chain

Lebanese protesters formed a human chain Sunday as a historic wave of demonstrations against political leaders, blamed for corruption and leading the country into economic collapse, reaches its second straight week.

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“We’re here to show the whole world that we are united,” said Rasha Hijazi, joining hands with others in the southern city of Sidon. “Everyone is coming to stay united against the corruption we are living within this country.”

Demonstrators joined hands from Tripoli to Tyre, a 170km chain running through the capital, Beirut, where protests have been focused, as part of an unprecedented mobilization across sectarian lines.

People of all sects and social conditions have flooded the streets for 11 days, furious over the sectarian government elite they accuse of looting state resources for their own benefit.

Yet so far there are no signs that the government has taken any steps to reach a compromise with protesters whose demands include their resignation.

Reflecting on the financial tensions, the millers' association said wheat reserves were sufficient for only 20 days because of problems involving payments in foreign currency in the past two months.

Lebanon's banks will remain closed on Monday, have been like that for eight-working-day, for security reasons. Bankers and analysts also expressed fears that depositors will try to withdraw their savings when banks reopen.

While schools and many businesses have also closed their doors while protesters have blocked roads across the country for days.

The protests, triggered in part by a government plan to record WhatsApp calls, have swept Lebanon at a time of deep economic crisis. The army's efforts to persuade protesters to unblock roads have failed.

At the Vatican, Pope Francis on Sunday offered his prayers for the young demonstrators in Lebanon and asked for the support of the international community to maintain the country as a place of "peaceful coexistence.

The size and geographical reach of the protests have been extraordinary in a country where political movements have long been divided by sectarian lines and struggle to attract the entire country.