2006–2008 Lebanese political protests

2006-2008 Lebanese protests
Dec 10, 2006 anti-government rally in Beirut
Date	1 December 2006 (2006-12-01) – 21 May 2008 (2008-05-21)
Location	Lebanon
Causes	Widespread corruption High unemployment Low minimum wage Cedar Revolution 2006 Lebanon War
Goals	Resignation of US-Backed Government Formation of National Unity Government Early Elections using 1960 election law
Methods	Civil disobedience Civil resistance Demonstrations Armed Rebellion
Concessions given	Doha Agreement

The 2006–2008 Lebanese protests were a series of political protests and sit-ins that began on December 1, 2006, led by groups in Lebanon that opposed the US and Saudi-backed government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and ended on May 21, 2008 following the Doha Agreement. The opposition group was made up of Hezbollah, Amal, and the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM); a number of smaller parties were also involved, including the Marada party, the Lebanese Communist Party and the Syrian Social Nationalist Party. The majority of the members of the government were part of the anti-Syrian March 14 Alliance, a coalition of political parties and independents in Lebanon. The two groups were also divided along religious lines, with most Sunnis and Druze supporting the government, and most Shi'a supporting the opposition group. The Christian community was split between the two factions, with Michel Aoun, the leader of the FPM, claiming to have more than 70% support among the Christians, according to the results of the 2005 parliamentary elections.

The opposition, which had nearly 45% of the parliamentary seats, was seeking to create a national unity government, in which it demanded one more than one third of the Cabinet seats. This would give them veto power, as well as the ability to collapse the government. Unlike other democracies, Lebanon cannot be ruled by a simple majority. The government refused the demands. The opposition was also seeking to hold early parliamentary elections, hoping to remove the current majority held by the March 14 Alliance. Conversely, the March 14 Alliance majority was seeking to hold early presidential elections to replace pro-Syrian President Émile Lahoud. In the Lebanese political system, parliament elects the president. However, according to article 49 of the constitution, the President of Lebanon must receive two-thirds of the votes in the first session or an absolute majority of votes in subsequent sessions.