Activists escaping Lebanon: disruption, burnout, and disengagement

Abstract

This chapter traces the experience of political activists in Lebanon from protests, social movement formation, revolution, to the current moment of their choosing to migrate. It conceptualizes the Mediterranean as a socially symbolic space where many Lebanese activists are choosing to settle in after a series of crises and disappointments. It helps us understand how movements get disrupted and how activists used agency in certain moments to purposefully disconnect from what they perceive to be situations where there is no hope left. The chapter uses in-depth interviews with individuals who have recently migrated following Lebanon’s economic collapse and the port explosion.