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Myriam Dalal

Artists Playing Part in Protests Against Parliament Extension



As is often the case in civil movements and acts of civil disobedience, many of Lebanon’s artists were spotted playing a role in Thursday night’s protests against parliament’s decision to extend its term into 2014.

Among the crowds, singer Tania Saleh, actor Ziad Sahhab and Chi N N host Talal Zaatari, along with Al-Zaim reality TV show winner and activist Maya Terro were spotted.

Chi N N’s co-anchor and lead singer for Meen the band, Fouad Yammine, director Lina Khoury, and actor Georges Khabbaz were also seen publicly supporting the cause early this week through video statements and Facebook status updates.

Activist and demonstration organizer Ramy Elias Inaty tells Beirut.com: “We weren’t planning on starting a sit-in. It depended on the protesters’ numbers and on how far they would allow us in the parliament to deliver our message… We hope more people join us and this cause gets more social media exposure than it is now even if Lebanese people have become numb to news and are now hardly driven by any good and rightful cause.”

Demonstrators plan to continue their protests Friday night, which could prove interesting since the Fete de la Musique festival, happening in several locations in downtown Beirut, including the nearby Roman Baths, will go on tonight from 7:00 p.m. until 1:00 a.m. What this means: a lot of natural-born rebels, artists and art enthusiasts will be out on the streets in large numbers. Damn the man. Party-Protest on.