SIDON: Tens of residents of the southern coastal city of Sidon protested Saturday night over severe power rationing, chanting slogans against Energy Minister Gebran Bassil and demanding equal electricity distribution.
The residents began their protest by lighting candles in front of Electricite Du Liban. Later, they burned tree branches and twigs. They also lit fire to a wheel-shaped wooden tool used for power cables.
The protesters complained that power rationing in Sidon provided them with only four hours of electricity daily, and accused the government of purposely neglecting their city.
One protester, Um Mustafa, said that she was participating in the protest to voice her grievances over long hours of power cuts.
"How are we to live? The fridge feels like the closet and we don't sleep," Um Mustafa told The Daily Star.
"We want to drink cold water and to sleep – not [necessarily] with air conditioning but at least with a fan on," she added.