A little further on, several protesters have gathered around a cart serving punnets of corn and beans that its owner has dubbed the "revolution wagon". Normally, Emad Hassan Saad plies his business on the corniche, Beirut's seaside promenade. "We sell more here because there are more people," the 29-year-old said. He has brought on three friends to help him out. The first peels lemons, the second chops them and the third pulls ears of corn from a pot of boiling water. "The rallies are a job opportunity for these young people, even if it's only temporary," Dana Zayyat, 21, said, munching on lupin beans. Her friend Jana Kharzal agrees. "This revolution has allowed young people who are poor to work, those who don't have the chance to study or to rent a shop." Youth unemployment is chronic in Lebanon, with more than 30 percent out of work, while almost a third of of Lebanon's population lives in poverty.
Agencies