Smash and sweep: Lebanon's demonstrators clean up after days of protest

Protesters are determined to show the government they are responsible

People clean Riad al-Solh square, a day after protests targeting the government over an economic crisis in Beirut, Lebanon. Reuters

Hundreds of Lebanese descended on downtown Beirut on Sunday morning, not to protest but to clean up.

After another night of protests the streets were strewn with broken glass and in some areas charred black.

But the mess was no match for the group. They diligently swept and scrubbed the streets clean.

“It’s an initiative we all took together” said Karl Dariane, “to clean up the mess we’ve done. Well the little mess that happened to show the government that we can do it.

"We can clean our own streets. We’re responsible enough. We care about our own country. So we’re all putting in a hand as you can see.”

The protesters are determined to show the government what civic duty looks like. In a city that famously couldn’t take care of its garbage, these protesters are showing that it’s really not that difficult.

“Why not?” said Dea Have Chahine. “We have to do this because it’s so dirty.”

They intend to protest again tonight and do it all again tomorrow morning.