Demonstrators climb the graffiti-strewn Martyrs’ Monument in the centre of Beirut’s Martyrs’ Square. On the second day of protests, tents started to appear on the faux grass surrounding the statue, accompanied by deckchairs and sound systems. The inhabitants insist the tents will remain pitched until the government concedes and resigns.
A protester holds up a sign outside the al-Omari Grand Mosque. Many Lebanese are concerned that their education will be of little value when the cost of living is so high.
A sea of red, white and green Lebanese flags covers Martyrs’ Square. Protesters were jubilant to see the national flag flying instead of the country's many sectarian flags.
"How many types of flag do see?" asked one protester. "There’s only one, because we’re all Lebanese. Our religion is irrelevant.”
Demonstrators stand atop the frame of a broken fence to view the speakers on the steps of the Grand Mosque. The mosque’s central location has led to it becoming a popular site for protesters to meet and gather.
A giant Lebanese flag is carried by the crowd, stretching from the Grand Serail government buildings to the Grand Mosque in Martyrs’ Square. More than one million people were peacefully protesting on Beirut’s streets by the third day.
A protester holds the hand of a soldier (bottom right) guarding a barricade set up to stop demonstrations spilling into Downtown’s Art Deco Nijme Square. Despite early clashes, many protesters say they hold no animosity towards the army and hope both sides can remain at peace.
Students pose in their masks atop the abandoned Grand Theatre downtown. The theatre opened in 1929 and although it is crumbling, it is one of the few remaining landmarks of pre-civil war Beirut. On the second day of protests, demonstrators began tearing down the wooden panels that had prevented them from seeing its interiors. By day three, hundreds of people filled its rooftop.
Protesters straddle the upper walls of the Grande Theatre.
A protester sings and dances to music as he is cheered on by a circle of demonstrators close to the barricade at the Grand Serail.
Protesters attach notes with their demands to the razor wire separating them from the Grand Serail. Some called for civil marriage and an independent judiciary. Others demanded a change to the voting age and full gender equality.
A burning flare at midnight casts its light over the heads of hundreds of protesters. Occasionally, fireworks are lit and fired into the sky from within the crowd. Every flare and bang sparks a wave of cheers and chants for hundreds of metres.
Protesters meet to drink in Gemmayzeh, Beirut's ‘bohemian’ quarter, ahead of returning to the evening demonstrations.
A protester in a Guy Fawkes mask holds a Lebanese flag in front of the Grand Serail. An army barricade blocks all access to the buildings, with protesters creating a wall of people opposite the rings of razor wire.
“We need a better Lebanon. lived in Europe for years and I wish Lebanon was more like how they run their politics. There’s nothing but corruption here.”
"People are dying in Lebanon because it's so hard to live. For many people protesting it's their last hope…We're one of the poorest economies in the world, but our government is among the richest in the world. People are so poor they’re not scared anymore."
While many protesters return home around midnight, bars in nearby Gemmayzeh remained open late into the early morning hours, catering for those who choose to stay and continue occupying the public spaces.
Pop-up vendors in Martyrs’ Square sell fruit and corn to protesters continuing to party throughout the night.
A graffiti artist adds the final touches to his caricature of Prime Minister Saad Hariri. With the police and army presence restricted to intersections and guarding government buildings, artists found themselves uncensored and turned much of Downtown Beirut into their playground.
“We’ve been ruled by the same criminals since the civil war. We don’t want them anymore. They lie to us. They steal from us. They make us hate each other, and now it’s time for them to leave. We want a secular state. A state run by experts free of corruption and sectarianism. We want to stay in our country and grow old here and teach our children about this revolution.”