At this moment, only the interstate roads in Lebanon are open. This is what Editor-in-Chief of Lebanon’s Aztag Daily Shahan Kandaharian told Armenian News-NEWS.am, touching upon the state of affairs during the ongoing civil protests in Lebanon.

“Banks and state institutions are closed. The protest against the country’s tax policy has now become a political protest with the demand for the government’s resignation, a transitional cabinet, organizing of snap elections and crucial steps against illicit enrichment,” he stated.

Kandaharian says all this should be viewed as elemental since there is no body authorized by the protesters and is a tactic so that there is no pressure exerted on the protesters.

“The overall demands can be viewed as a demand for transformation of the system. The people want to see a cabinet of professionals and establish a transitional cabinet, the main function of which will be the organizing of snap elections,” Kandaharian said, yet had trouble predicting the course of events. He added that even though the Armenian community of Lebanon isn’t officially participating in the protests, there are Armenians among the demonstrators.

The protests in Lebanon began after the government decided to introduce a new tax for WhatsApp calls on October 17. There have also been clashes between the army and demonstrators, and there are victims.