LEBANON: why are protests happening and what happens now?

WHY THE ANGER WITH THE GOVERMENT?

The ruling class of Lebanon has not changed since the country's civil war ended 30 years ago. The faces may have changed (though not much), but the dynasties and cliques have not.
Lebanese politics is structured according to religion.

According to the constitution, the president must be a Christian, the prime minister must be a Sunni Muslim and the speaker of the parliament must be a Shia Muslim.
This was an attempt, to create a system that represents all religious denominations in the country.

According to a census which hasn't been updated in more than 80 years, there are 18 different religions groups.
The consequence now is religious sectarianism from the top of politics downwards. It creates a system where a homogenous functioning political system is impossible.

Different political groupings in the country are only focused on retaining support from their own communities.

A few facts which go some way to explaining the mood:

• Just 1% of adults in Lebanon receive a quarter of the national income.

• Nearly 40% of young people, many of them graduates, are unemployed.

• And in very practical terms, Lebanon just doesn't work: power cuts are frequent, water is not safe to drink.

• People end up having to pay for electricity and water and then pay more bills for generators and bottled water.

• Mobile phone charges are extortionate making services like WhatsApp calls very popular. So the tax on them was the final straw.

WHAT HAPPENS NOW?

The protesters, who for the first time in the country's post-colonial history are protesting as one homogenous group under the national flag, have said they will not leave the streets until the whole government resigns and the sectarian system is reformed.

WHAT ABOUT HEZBOLLAH?

Hezbollah is the powerful political Islamist Shia Muslim political party and militant group with its heartland in the south of Lebanon.
It is seen within Lebanon as being instrumental in repelling Israeli aggression from the south.

Support for its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, is strong in the south of the country, as well as eastern Lebanon and parts of Beirut, and criticism of him or the movement among supporters is unusual.

However, some of his own now consider him to be fair game in these latest protests because they see him as representative of the corrupt ruling class.

This has caused tension with his hardcore supporters. There is a concern that this could develop into a flashpoint.
With its own army, there are fears that clashes between them and other groups could scupper an otherwise peaceful national movement.