Lebanese activists launch mock ‘lollar’ currency

Lebanese activists issued mock banknotes featuring a gutted central bank or the Beirut port explosion on Friday to condemn high-level corruption that has contributed to the country’s downfall.

The collapse of the Lebanese pound and the freezing of bank accounts have left Lebanon with a perplexing currency system, with a plethora of exchange rates applicable to various situations in daily life.

Dollars that are stuck in accounts and can only be withdrawn in Lebanese pounds at a fraction of their original value are referred to locally as “lollars.”

With parliamentary elections two days away, the Lebanese Transparency Association (LTA) decided to take the joke to the streets, with a stunt encouraging people to use “lollars” for the day.

The “monetary disobedience” campaign, entitled “Currency of Corruption”, encourages people to print their own “funny money” at home and try to use it as a means of raising awareness.

“We will not adapt to this mockery anymore, we are #NotPayingThePrice,” the LTA said in a statement unveiling the campaign and its hashtag.

The mock banknotes feature paintings by acclaimed Lebanon-based artist Tom Young depicting calamities that have hit Lebanon in recent years, from the deadly August 2020 port blast to forest fires, solid waste pollution and shortages.

On one of Beirut’s main squares Friday, organizers installed a fake ATM from which passers-by could withdraw “lollars”.

LTA communications officer Hazar Assi said the campaign was aimed at reminding voters that their current plight was to blame on the country’s corrupt hereditary leaders.

“When people vote, they should make a choice based on accountability and rejecting the corruption that is affecting all of our lives,” she said.

Traditional sectarian parties in Lebanon will seek to extend their stranglehold on power in parliamentary elections on Sunday, but a new generation of independent candidates hopes for a breakthrough.