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Lebanese demonstrators dance to music by DJs as the protest movement takes over the country. (Photo: Al Jazeera/Twitter)
'The Revolution Is Lit': Jubilant Lebanon Uprising Fueled By Music, Dancing, and... 'Baby Shark'
"Only in Lebanon would a song like 'Baby Shark,' which is now being played at every crowd gathering, become the anthem of a revolution."
Oct 22, 2019
The anti-corruption protest movement overtaking Lebanon has motivated over a million people to take to the streets in demonstrations against the country's government, and has been marked by crowds dancing in squares to techno and even the popular children's song "Baby Shark."
A moment from the protests involving the children's song went viral over the weekend after a frightened toddler in a car stopped by protests was serenaded by demonstrators singing "Baby Shark" and doing the dance associated with the catchy tune.
And it didn't end there.
"Only in Lebanon would a song like 'Baby Shark,' which is now being played at every crowd gathering, become the anthem of a revolution," novelist Rabih Alameddine wrote for The New York Times.
The YouTube sensation is one of many examples of Lebanese protesters using music and dancing to celebrate during the protests against the government, which were sparked by a proposed tax on calls made by WhatsApp. Demonstrators are rejecting proposed reforms from the government and calling for fundamental changes in how the country is run.
As Alameddine explained:
Heeding the calls for change, the government rescinded the WhatsApp tax soon after announcing it, and on Monday, it announced its agreement to a list of demands. But skeptical protesters are refusing to budge. In the meantime, the Lebanese are showing the world how to hold a great demonstration. They are partying, playing table tennis, and celebrating weddings out on the street.
One marriage proposal, caught on camera, took place in the heart of the protests.
"The music has been epic, it's like a constant rave downtown," In the Now journalist Rania Khalek, who is on the ground in Lebanon's capital, Beruit, told Common Dreams. "It's so Lebanese!"
Videos from cities across the country show DJs playing to crowds from the top of vans and in buildings overlooking people in the streets.
"Lebanese people love to dance and love to party, so it makes sense that protests would turn into a big festive party with sound systems and in some cases DJs blasting old songs, new songs, the national anthem, and various chants against corrupt officials," said Khalek.
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The anti-corruption protest movement overtaking Lebanon has motivated over a million people to take to the streets in demonstrations against the country's government, and has been marked by crowds dancing in squares to techno and even the popular children's song "Baby Shark."
A moment from the protests involving the children's song went viral over the weekend after a frightened toddler in a car stopped by protests was serenaded by demonstrators singing "Baby Shark" and doing the dance associated with the catchy tune.
And it didn't end there.
"Only in Lebanon would a song like 'Baby Shark,' which is now being played at every crowd gathering, become the anthem of a revolution," novelist Rabih Alameddine wrote for The New York Times.
The YouTube sensation is one of many examples of Lebanese protesters using music and dancing to celebrate during the protests against the government, which were sparked by a proposed tax on calls made by WhatsApp. Demonstrators are rejecting proposed reforms from the government and calling for fundamental changes in how the country is run.
As Alameddine explained:
Heeding the calls for change, the government rescinded the WhatsApp tax soon after announcing it, and on Monday, it announced its agreement to a list of demands. But skeptical protesters are refusing to budge. In the meantime, the Lebanese are showing the world how to hold a great demonstration. They are partying, playing table tennis, and celebrating weddings out on the street.
One marriage proposal, caught on camera, took place in the heart of the protests.
"The music has been epic, it's like a constant rave downtown," In the Now journalist Rania Khalek, who is on the ground in Lebanon's capital, Beruit, told Common Dreams. "It's so Lebanese!"
Videos from cities across the country show DJs playing to crowds from the top of vans and in buildings overlooking people in the streets.
"Lebanese people love to dance and love to party, so it makes sense that protests would turn into a big festive party with sound systems and in some cases DJs blasting old songs, new songs, the national anthem, and various chants against corrupt officials," said Khalek.
The anti-corruption protest movement overtaking Lebanon has motivated over a million people to take to the streets in demonstrations against the country's government, and has been marked by crowds dancing in squares to techno and even the popular children's song "Baby Shark."
A moment from the protests involving the children's song went viral over the weekend after a frightened toddler in a car stopped by protests was serenaded by demonstrators singing "Baby Shark" and doing the dance associated with the catchy tune.
And it didn't end there.
"Only in Lebanon would a song like 'Baby Shark,' which is now being played at every crowd gathering, become the anthem of a revolution," novelist Rabih Alameddine wrote for The New York Times.
The YouTube sensation is one of many examples of Lebanese protesters using music and dancing to celebrate during the protests against the government, which were sparked by a proposed tax on calls made by WhatsApp. Demonstrators are rejecting proposed reforms from the government and calling for fundamental changes in how the country is run.
As Alameddine explained:
Heeding the calls for change, the government rescinded the WhatsApp tax soon after announcing it, and on Monday, it announced its agreement to a list of demands. But skeptical protesters are refusing to budge. In the meantime, the Lebanese are showing the world how to hold a great demonstration. They are partying, playing table tennis, and celebrating weddings out on the street.
One marriage proposal, caught on camera, took place in the heart of the protests.
"The music has been epic, it's like a constant rave downtown," In the Now journalist Rania Khalek, who is on the ground in Lebanon's capital, Beruit, told Common Dreams. "It's so Lebanese!"
Videos from cities across the country show DJs playing to crowds from the top of vans and in buildings overlooking people in the streets.
"Lebanese people love to dance and love to party, so it makes sense that protests would turn into a big festive party with sound systems and in some cases DJs blasting old songs, new songs, the national anthem, and various chants against corrupt officials," said Khalek.
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