Scale of Downtown Beirut Protest Captured by Racing Drone

4 年前

As hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Beirut, Lebanon, on October 20 to participate in the fourth consecutive day of anti-government protests, local drone operator Manuel Bassil captured whizzing views of the crowds from the air.

Bassil participated in the protests on Sunday, and captured aerial footage using one of his custom-built racing drones. The footage shows a sea of protesters in the streets of Beirut as they chant, hold signs, and wave the Lebanese flag together.

The protests initially began after the government announced new taxes on free messaging apps like WhatsApp, inciting anger and frustration amongst the Lebanese.

Although the tax was withdrawn only hours after the protests began, the demonstrations have continued as citizens voice their discontent with decades of corruption, debt, nepotism, and other issues, according to reports.

“People from all religions and political backgrounds gathered together in the streets demanding a new Lebanon, built on fair laws and away from political and religious affiliations,” Bassil told Storyful.

The country has been in a state of emergency since September, as the government continued attempts to eradicate the national debt crisis. Credit: Manuel Bassil via Storyful