1) The explosion in the port of Beirut on August 4 and all the deaths, suffering and destruction demonstrated that there is no way out for Lebanon but the resumption of the workers’ and people’s revolution to overthrow the sectarian regime and place the workers and the people in power.
By Hassan al-Barazili
2) All the regime’s political parties: Free Patriotic Movement, Future Party, Hezbollah, Phalanx Party, Amal, Lebanese Forces, Progressive Socialist Party fight for the survival of the regime and themselves.
3) The regime declared a state of emergency to prevent the revolution from returning to the streets. In addition, it signaled new elections, without any change in the sectarian regime that ensures power to the regime’s political parties. Some resignations in the cabinet and parliament do not represent change. Before the October revolution, the country’s wealthiest families, who also command all regime’s parties, remitted $ 21 billion abroad to secure their wealth.
4) Imperialist countries, captained by French colonialism, want to prevent the return of the social revolution to the streets. French President Emmanuel Macron visited Beirut, announced humanitarian aid and called for economic and political reforms. Economic reforms include reducing the public deficit, increasing the price of electricity and the complete privatization of the Lebanese economy. Political reforms must be understood as the maintenance of the sectarian regime, that is, a regime based on the division of the population by religion, but with new faces. The imperialist countries, in particular the U.S., also want Lebanon to recognize the State of Israel and react to diplomatic relations with the Zionist state.
5) The working class and youth resumed street protests during Macron’s visit to the Gemmayzeh neighborhood in Beirut last Thursday. On Saturday, thousands took over the martyrs’ square at downtown Beirut where they were harshly repressed by the police and the army in order to prevent them from taking over parliament. Ministries such as foreign affairs and the bank’s association were occupied, and then vacated by state repression. On Sunday the mobilizations continued.
Down with the Bourgeois Sectarian Regime and all its Political Parties! Revolution until Victory! Power to the Workers and the People!
There is no other way to guarantee the survival of the working population. Half of the Lebanese people live below the poverty line. 300,000 lost their homes in Beirut. The Lebanese lira depreciated 80% against the US dollar and inflation soared. But sectarian parties will not leave power without fight. A revolutionary strategy must be developed.
a) It is necessary to expand the mobilization in Beirut and resume it throughout the country. The unions have to call a general strike until the regime is overthrown.
b) The workers and the people have to build democratically elected workers’ and people’s councils across the country to fight for power.
c) Workers ‘and people’s councils must call on soldiers to refuse to repress demonstrations and to organize soldiers’ councils to join the revolution.
d) Workers’ and popular councils must organize self-defense for demonstrations and popular neighborhoods.
e) Workers’ Councils must centralize and distribute all humanitarian aid under their control.
f) For the country’s reconstruction, it is necessary to nationalize the banks under the control of workers and expropriate the US $ 21 billion and other assets belonging to billionaire families.
g) Councils must take a stand for supporting Palestinians in their struggle for the liberation of Palestine, and for supporting Syrians in their struggle to overthrow the Syrian regime.
h) The councils must call for international solidarity, in particular for the working people in the Arab countries that face up to authoritarian regimes in general linked to imperialist interests. The Iraqi revolution is now resuming street protests in Baghdad and Basra. Solidarity between the Lebanese and Iraqi revolutions has to be built.
i) The Lebanese workers and people must build a revolutionary political party that will fight to overthrow the sectarian regime and its parties, and to bring workers to power.
