'The Revolution Is Lit': Jubilant Lebanon Uprising Fueled By Music, Dancing, and… 'Baby Shark'

The anti-corruption protest movement overtaking Lebanon has motivated over a million people to take to the streets in demonstrations against the country’s government, and has been marked by crowds dancing in squares to techno and even the popular children’s song “Baby Shark.”

A moment from the protests involving the children’s song went viral over the weekend after a frightened toddler in a car stopped by protests was serenaded by demonstrators singing “Baby Shark” and doing the dance associated with the catchy tune. 

And it didn’t end there.

“Only in Lebanon would a song like ‘Baby Shark,’ which is now being played at every crowd gathering, become the anthem of a revolution,” novelist Rabih Alameddine wrote for The New York Times. 

The YouTube sensation is one of many examples of Lebanese protesters using music and dancing to celebrate during the protests against the government, which were sparked by a proposed tax on calls made by WhatsApp. Demonstrators are rejecting proposed reforms from the government and calling for fundamental changes in how the country is run.

As Alameddine explained: