Amid popular anger against the failure of the government to deal with a crippling trash crisis, prominent activist Hanna Gharib called on the Lebanese to take back their public spaces.
Gharib, one of the leaders of the Union Coordination Committee and a supporter of the YouStink movement, has come to embody the fight against political sectarianism and nepotism.
The issue of public properties, which saw the majority of Lebanon's coast sold off to private companies owned by politicians, has been an ongoing problem that numerous coalitions, individual initiatives, and non-governmental organizations have been trying to reverse.
Recently, NGO Nahnoo managed, after four years of campaigning and pressure on the municipality of Beirut, to reopen Horsh Beirut during the weekends, a green park that has been closed for more than 20 years.
In a post published on his Facebook page, Gharib invited the Lebanese to reclaim Zaitunay Bay, a public space that was privatized and turned into a luxurious coastal strip that alienated the majority of Lebanon's population, on Saturday.
The activist urged all Lebanese to bring their lunch at 3 p.m. and sit on the docks by the yachts, which sit unused and polished, in a non-violent effort at civil disobedience.
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"كان مفتوح لكل الناس وكان اسمه خليج الزيتونة، وبتسهيل من السلطة سيطرت عليه شركة خاصة وصار اسمه zaitounay bay"كرمال نرج...
Posted by حنا غريب on Thursday, September 10, 2015
Translation: "'It was open to all people and it was called the Gulf of Zaitunay, but with the help of the ruling class, a private company took control of it and now it's Zaitunay Bay.'
So that we can reopen the shore and public spaces to all people, and specifically to the poor, on Saturday, we're all bringing our lunch and sitting on the docks on the bay, by the yachts, to sit on our public spaces.
We invite you, and everyone else, to have lunch with us, with each person getting his meal with him.
So that we liberate our public spaces, we'll be there Saturday at 3pm."
Are we seeing you there tomorrow or will you be surrendering to the pricey temptations of Zaitunay's highbrow restaurants?