Coronavirus: Arab uprisings struggle amid lockdowns
From North Africa to the Middle East, several Arab countries have witnessed mass protest movements bring down longstanding political leaders over the past year.
In Sudan, the protests have given way to various political reforms, but little has changed in Iraq, Lebanon and Algeria, where until recently protesters remained on the streets calling for change. Protesters in those countries have largely been driven away from public spaces due to fears of contracting the novel coronavirus — and as a result of government measures to curb the outbreak.
Read more: Lebanon: From the penthouse to the outhouse
Lebanese authorities implemented restrictions on public life in late March, including a curfew aimed at preventing large gatherings. They demolished the main protest camp at Martyrs’ Square in Beirut, clearing out a core group of about 60 protesters. The camp had served as a hub for the protest movement’s political action.
It only took two days before small demonstrations surfaced in the suburbs of Lebanese cities in defiance of the coronavirus lockdown.
In Beirut, protesters flouted the curfew, yelling “We want to eat, we want to live.” In Tripoli, Lebanon’s second-largest city, protesters took to the streets in cars and scooters, shouting: “Dying from the coronavirus is better than starving to death.”
For many activists across the region, giving way to the pandemic isn’t an option.
Until the end
In Iraq, more than 770 people have contracted the virus, including at least 54 who have died due to complications caused by the disease. Authorities have enacted a nationwide lockdown as part of containment measures to slow the spread of COVID-19.
As a result, protest camps have thinned out across the country. The few protesters that remain maintain a rotating presence for fear that if they fully leave, it would spell the end of the movement. They’ve even developed their own measures to fight the coronavirus within the camps.
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Coronavirus in the Middle East: Lock down or play down?
Iran: Bearing the brunt
With a high number of deaths and cases, Iran has been a regional epicenter of the outbreak. Several top officials have been infected and there are concerns the number of cases are higher than reported. The government has canceled Friday prayers but health workers have complained they are under-equipped. Iran has asked the International Monetary Fund for emergency funding.
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Coronavirus in the Middle East: Lock down or play down?
Saudi Arabia: strict measures
Saudi authorities banned international religious pilgrims early on, leaving the Grand Mosque’s Kaaba in Mecca virtually empty. Other measures have involved sanitizing streets and mosques, closing schools and universities, an extensive travel ban and fines of up to 500,000 riyals (€120,000/$133,000) for people hiding health details. It has also locked down the Shiite-minority area of Qatif.
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Coronavirus in the Middle East: Lock down or play down?
Egypt: Travel restrictions
In Cairo, hundreds of Egyptians tried to get certificates showing they have a clean bill of health after Saudi Arabia announced new travel regulations. Although Egypt has only detected a low number of cases, more than 100 tourists returning from the country tested positive for the virus. Officials have limited sermons to 15 minutes and cancelled large public gatherings.
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Coronavirus in the Middle East: Lock down or play down?
Israel, West Bank: Shielding themselves from the world
Gatherings of less than 100 are still allowed, leaving visits to the Wailing Wall open. But Israeli authorities have virtually halted air traffic in and out of its territory and tourists are required to self quarantine. The city of Bethlehem has declared a state of emergency, emptying streets usually teeming ahead of Easter. Israeli researchers have said they are close to finding a COVID-19 cure.
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Coronavirus in the Middle East: Lock down or play down?
Kuwait: Virtual lockdown
As Kuwaitis kept their distance at this makeshift testing center, the country entered a virtual lockdown, with the entire workforce given a two-week holiday from March 12. All commercial flights have been suspended from Friday on, schools have been closed and gatherings at restaurants, malls and commercial centers have been banned.
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Coronavirus in the Middle East: Lock down or play down?
Iraq: Coronavirus fails to dampen protests
Iraq’s protest movement has set up its own makeshift disinfection stations to counter the spread of COVID-19. Although Iraq is highly prone to the outbreak due to its proximity and close relations with Iran, protesters have been defiant, saying the government is the virus. Elsewhere authorities have closed major public spaces and religious institutions have cancelled gatherings.
“If we leave Tahrir Square, the snipers and security forces will take over and the movement will end,” said Alqasem Ahmed, a young Baghdad journalist who has helped articulate protesters’ demands.
Since October, more than 600 people have been killed, many of them during clashes with government forces. Before the pandemic, the Iraqi government had struggled to contain the widespread demonstrations against corruption, lack of access to basic services and the country’s sectarian political system.
“We have survived death, bullets and teargas for six months, so we can wait another six months until corona ends,” Ahmed said.
Protesters walk through a makeshift disinfection cabin on Tahrir Square in Iraq
With Iraq’s public healthcare system strained by decades of sanctions and underfunding, the coronavirus is only further fueling grievances. With record-low oil prices triggered by the global pandemic straining Baghdad’s ability to pay its massive public sector, Iraqis face an even more uncertain future.
“These problems will make people go out to the streets in bigger numbers than ever before,” said Ahmed. “Before, society was divided between those who supported the protests and those who stayed home, but soon they will see why we are protesting and join us.”
‘Taking advantage of the epidemic’
In Algeria, the pandemic has also taken its toll on the protest movement. Authorities appear to have instrumentalized coronavirus-related restrictions to deliberately silence internal dissent.
Last year, mass demonstrations against corruption and the ruling elite led to the ouster of longstanding ruler Abdelaziz Bouteflika and a subsequent presidential election, which was marred by irregularities. Despite the government’s political concessions to protesters’ demands, demonstrations were still staged every Friday until last month.
Iraq, like many other countries, has enforced a curfew to help fight the spread of the coronavirus
Algerian authorities not only banned public gatherings mid-March, they also took the opportunity to arrest several activists and journalists, including prominent opposition figure Karim Tabbou and Reporters without Borders (RSF) correspondent Khaled Drareni.
RSF and other press freedom groups said they “regret that the Algerian authorities are taking advantage of the coronavirus epidemic to settle scores with independent journalism.”
But the arrests haven’t stopped the movement. In a video featuring prominent Algerian activists about the novel coronavirus, one figure raised a placard that read: “Protect yourself so that the revolution has a future.”
“To be free, you have to live,” said another activist.
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Article source: https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-arab-uprisings-struggle-amid-lockdowns/a-53027193?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf