Rafik Hariri Center Resident Fellow Faysal Itani writes for The Daily Beast on the rise of the “YouStink” movement in the streets of Beirut:
Never an uneventful place, Lebanon is now in the throes of a “garbage protest” movement calling itself YouStink—the “you” referring to the country’s cabinet and broader political elite. Angered by a garbage collection breakdown that has trash pilling up on the streets, thousands of protesters in Beirut have demanded the prime minister and his cabinet resign. Security forces have reacted violently, injuring some. There are reports of one fatality, after thugs apparently infiltrated a demonstration on Sunday, clearly trying to sabotage the protest. The prime minister has insisted he will not resign, and no major political players have asked him to, probably because they sense they are targets as well.