

Many demonstrators have also been wearing masks worn by characters in the Spanish series Money Heist. (LAURA MACKENZIE / WIRED)



V for Vendetta masks also made an appearance. (LAURA MACKENZIE / WIRED)

The protests began on Thursday night, in part sparked by a government-approved “WhatsApp tax”. (LAURA MACKENZIE / WIRED)

With Joker currently playing in cinemas across the Middle East, the clown face of the film’s protagonist has emerged as a symbol of Beirut’s anti-government protests—the biggest seen in the country for at least four years, if not ever.

The protests began on Thursday night, in part sparked by a government-approved “WhatsApp tax” that would have seen residents forced to pay $0.20 per day to use internet-based phone calls. WhatsApp is hugely popular in Lebanon, where normal phone calls and text messages are very expensive, and is the primary method for communication—both for business and socially—for many people in the country.

The government quickly backtracked after people took to the streets but the protests continued unabated, with Lebanese of all sects and backgrounds uniting against a government and political elite they see as having run the country into the ground.

Some protesters in Beirut have drawn parallels between the Lebanese capital and Gotham City, the fictional city of urban decay best known as the home of Batman and the setting for the hugely popular Joker. The Hollywood film tells the backstory of its title character, Batman’s arch-nemesis, who turned to violence after years of suffering at the hands of both society and those around him. The character—who is best known for his eerie painted-on clown face—has resonated with many of those rallying in Beirut, with clown faces daubed on the walls of the city’s upscale downtown area and a number of demonstrators coming dressed as the Joker.

Sari Hanafi, professor of sociology and chair of the department of sociology, anthropology and media studies at the American University of Beirut, said the use of masks and face paint held both a practical and a symbolic significance. “The important idea is to hide the face when swearing against some important politician such as [Hezbollah leader] Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. Now why Joker? This is simply the artistic way of doing demonstration in Lebanon—it is always done in a creative way and this is part of it.” He added that symbols were important in social movements and that the use of the Joker image was a brand similar to the yellow vests in France.

One protester said she had come to Sunday’s protest with a Joker face because it was “perfect” for the occasion. “The reason we painted our faces is because we related to the character in the movie. Because before he painted his face he was just living that miserable life. Nobody cared about him, nobody would listen to him. He’s upset, he’s angry, and it just drove him to madness and that’s what’s happening [in Lebanon],” she said.

The first two days of protests in Beirut were marred by vandalism and clashes between protesters and the security forces. Since Saturday, the demonstrations have been remarkably peaceful given their scale. Hundreds of thousands have turned out in Beirut alone, with more taking to the streets elsewhere in the country.

Another protester, from Bourj El-Barajneh in Beirut’s southern suburbs, said the societal situation in Joker resembled the Lebanese system: “Only the daughters and sons and friends of the leaders are taken care of and given priority. Unlike a person like me who has nothing to do with that.”

The Joker is not the only fictional character from which Beirut’s protesters are taking cultural cues. Many demonstrators have also been wearing masks worn by characters in the Spanish series Money Heist (“La Casa de Papel”) and the film V for Vendetta.