Beirut Rally Calls for “Sectarian” Regime to be Toppled

Cold rain and driving winds failed to deter hundreds of Lebanese from demonstrating against a “sectarian regime” in Beirut on Sunday. Organizers of the demonstration had asked participants to leave all flags – party or even national — at home to emphasize that the event was a grassroots rather than political effort aimed at urging democracy to prevail over sectarianism. The present Lebanese government, like those before it, is a balancing act of sectarian interests assembled according to a formula for Muslim and Christian; Sunni and Shiite representation. The leaflet prepared by the demonstration’s organizers called for “a secular, civil democratic, socially just and equal state.” It also called for the prices of basic necessities to be lowered and the minimum wage to be increased.