MP Paula Yacobian Hands Over Necklace In Bizarre Video

During yesterday’s voting session, retired army personnel and others were protesting outside parliament to oppose the 2022 budget (which ended up being passed). Those gathered claimed that the proposed budget did not sufficiently address their concerns, and could even end up actively harming them.

While MPs Jamil el Sayed and Cynthia Zarazir joined the crowds to express solidarity, the MP that took most of the spotlight was Beirut’s Paula Yacoubian due to a bizarre interaction she had with a protestor. The interaction, which was caught on tape, shows Yacoubian conversing with a man across a police barricade when he asks if the necklace around her neck was “gold or what?” This resulted in Yacoubian taking off her necklace and handing it over to him.

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— Mulhak – (@Mulhak) September 26, 2022

Yacoubian is heard saying, “I’ll remove it right now,” going on to state that “it is $10 dollars.” She repeated “$10 dollars” as she walked away from the crowd.

The protesters laughed and attempting to return the necklace to Paula, stating that ‘they’re above this.’

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— Ali Haidar _href=”https://twitter.com/AliHaid97335480/status/1574613667626291204?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>September 27, 2022

.—(@RaniaMehioKH) September 27, 2022

The stunt has been met with criticism on social media, with users describing the incident from performative to rude. A few voices praised Yacoubian, saying that she would grace by immediately handing off the necklace to the protester.

Whatever the case, the parliamentary budget was passed and the protesters’ rights were forsaken and their futures put into peril, but at least we got a bizarre video out of it.