Lebanese Humor Ever-Present at Civil Society Demo

The Lebanese are never too far away from poking fun of their daily hardships and they were never less evident than during Saturday “You Stink” civil society protest.

References to popular songs, movies, and television shows were present among the myriad of banners and posters at the rally, which took place at Beirut's downtown area.

Others broke out in an impromptu “dabke” dance, reflecting the peacefulness of the protest, in stark contrast to last weekend's rally that took a violent turn when security forces resorted to violence to quell the angry crowds.

The “You Stink” campaign staged a huge rally on Saturday to condemn the current political deadlock in Lebanon and officials' ongoing failure to resolve the garbage management crisis.

Thousands of protesters rallied at downtown Beirut to demand the resignation of Environment Minister Mohammed al-Mashnouq and to hold Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq accountable for the use of force during a similar protest held a week ago.

They also called for the election of a new president.

They gave the government 72 hours to meet their demands, warning that after the deadline expires it will take escalatory measures not just in Beirut.

Lebanon plunged in a trash disposal crisis following the closure of the Naameh landfill in July without finding an alternative for.

This has consequently led to the pile up garbage on the streets throughout the country as politicians failed to reach a solution to the problem.

Lebanon has been without a president since May 2014 when the term of Michel Suleiman ended without the election of a successor.

Ongoing disputes between the rival March 8 and 14 camps over a consensual candidate have thwarted the polls.