Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Lebanese Communist Party: Supports popular uprising, calls for general strike

The Lebanese Communist Party (LCP) stands by the side of the masses who have demonstrated in Beirut and throughout the country during the last few days and calls for an escalation in the confrontation with Saad Hariri's government. 

The LCP called the recent protests as "a national uprising throughout the country from the north to the south, passing through the mountains, Beirut and the Bekaa, bypassing sectarian divisions and sectarian affiliations and upholding its rights and demands". 

In a statement issued on October 19th, the Political Bureau of the Communist Party "salutes the masses of demonstrators, their steadfastness and courage in escalating the popular confrontation that reflects the will of our people and their living forces to reject the authoritarian approach of its policies and actions against the livelihood of the citizen by defending the poor, working class, youth and students of Lebanon". 

The LCP also condemns the violence exercised by the army and security forces against the demonstrators, "rejecting repression and condemning it and calling for the release of all detainees".

It also calls for the escalation of confrontation and victory for the issues of the poor, workers, youth and students in Beirut and throughout the country, firmly and solidly, by continuing to take to the streets massively. "Based on this political priority and the participation of the party in this popular uprising since its inception will continue in this position" reads the LCP statement.
The Lebanese Communist Party has underlined that the uprising is not limited to the demand to withdraw the draft tax, but it must also include the demand to change the composition and circulation of power, as well as to change the imposition of social and economic policies. 
Towards this direction, the Party as well as its Youth and Students' section has called for the continuation of the struggle, the preparation of a general strike, for the immediate resignation of the anti-people government.