Lebanese people blocked roads on Monday morning in the capital Beirut and other regions of the country, protesting the deteriorating living conditions amid the collapse of the local currency against the dollar. "Sky News Arabia" reported that residents obstructed roads within Beirut, as well as in Sidon in the south and Tripoli in the north.
Calls circulated on social media on Sunday urging people to block roads, although the identities of those behind the calls were unclear. These calls stated: "Due to the current situation in the country and the skyrocketing exchange rate of the dollar, along with the harsh economic conditions and humiliating living standards leading to the depths of hell, roads will be blocked tomorrow (Monday) and protests in the streets will resume."
Blocking roads is a common form of protest in Lebanon and has been repeated frequently since the economic crisis intensified in 2019. The value of the Lebanese lira has collapsed significantly, with one dollar equaling 25,000 lira in recent days, compared to 1,500 lira two years ago. With the lira losing more than 90 percent of its value against the dollar in the black market over two years, the purchasing power of Lebanese citizens has deteriorated, and the minimum wage has fallen below 30 dollars.
The formation of Najib Mikati's government in September did not alleviate the lira's collapse, despite ending months of political paralysis. For more than a month, the government has not held any meetings due to Hezbollah and its allies boycotting sessions before resolving the fate of the investigative judge in the Beirut port explosion that occurred in August 2020, as they demand his dismissal, accusing him of "politicizing" the investigation.
Lebanon's crisis has been exacerbated by tensions with Gulf countries, triggered by statements made by Information Minister George Kordahi. The country is suffering under an economic collapse described by the World Bank as one of the worst depressions in modern history, largely due to decades of corruption and mismanagement by political elites.
