Beirut Women Reject Mother’s Day

BEIRUT — Lebanese women, angered by rising prices and a collapsing currency, said Saturday that Lebanon’s economic crisis makes Mother’s Day celebrations inappropriate.

“How can we celebrate Mother’s Day when we don’t have the money to feed our children?” asked Leila, one of dozens of women staging a 24-hour protest sit-in in a West Beirut apartment.

“The high cost of living and monopolies will cause slow death unless they are stopped,” read a banner on the wall.

The Lebanese celebrate Mother’s Day on March 21. The once-stable Lebanese pound has lost more than 83% of its international value since January, 1986, sparking runaway inflation which has alarmed war-weary Lebanese.