Lebanon has been undergoing an unprecedented wave of protests since October 2019, beginning with the government announcement of its intention to impose new taxes, including a tax on WhatsApp voice calls. The protests quickly evolved to demand the overthrow of the ruling political class, doing away with the sectarian quota system, the sharing of public goods and fighting corruption. Compared to previous protests, this uprising is characterized by spontaneous public outrage, a complete breakdown of sectarian and regional divisions, with protestors of all ages and classes uniting. Given the importance of the topic, which comes in the context of the growing protest movements in the Arab world, the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies will hold an academic symposium on Wednesday 20 November 2019, titled “Lebanon Protests: Local and Regional Context and the Future of the Political System”. The symposium will discuss the causes, background, implications and prospects of the protests, the attitudes of political forces towards them, and the influence of regional powers on them. It will be attended by a group of Arab researchers and academics, in line with the Arab Center’s mission to address Arab issues and regional and international political developments.