lebanese
© Anwar Amro / AFP
Touching scenes played out amidst massive protest rallies in Lebanon as several protesters embraced dewy-eyed soldiers during the standoff. The public anger was earlier sparked by plans for tax hikes.

A video, posted on social media, shows two protesters comforting a soldier in full gear, who appears to be overwhelmed by emotion as he stands securing the perimeter. They gently pat the man on the cheek and shoulders.


Other protesters are waving national flags and singing the national anthem, as more armed soldiers calmly stand next to them.

In a similar video, a protester and a soldier warmly hug each other, with chants heard at the background.


An earlier clip from the rallies, which went viral, showed the protesters singing a popular children's song 'Baby Shark' to a small frightened boy in a bid to calm him. The song later became one of the protests' unofficial anthems.

The Lebanese began blocking roads and holding rallies last week, protesting against the government's plans to raise the value-added tax and introduce a new tax on the use of internet calling apps such a WhatsApp. The government later rolled back the tax hikes and proposed a number of economic reforms instead. The protesters, however, refused to leave the streets, demanding that Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigns.

Despite remaining largely peaceful, the protests have at times led to sporadic clashes with police and some rioting.