What caused the 2019 protests in Beirut and other Lebanese cities?

The 2019 protests in Beirut and across Lebanon were primarily driven by widespread public frustration over government mismanagement, rampant corruption, and the state's inability to address deepening economic crises.12

Tensions reached a breaking point in October 2019 when the government announced a new tax on voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) services, which many citizens relied on daily to avoid the high costs of traditional mobile calls. This proposal was perceived as an attempt to make the public pay for the consequences of official graft and fiscal incompetence, particularly following the government's failure to fund maintenance for equipment needed to combat devastating wildfires that same month.1

Although the tax was quickly rescinded, the demonstrations evolved into a broader movement calling for the resignation of the country's top political leadership. The protests reflected a deep-seated exhaustion with a political system long defined by sectarian interests and a lack of effective governance. These events ultimately led to the resignation of Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri in late October 2019.123