Last year, politicians had held a large military parade in downtown Beirut, with the participation of the air force and armoured units. Friday's event, attended by President Michel Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri and caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri, included foot soldiers and lasted about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, thousands of people filled Martyrs' Square for a parade of dozens of civilian "battalions", sorted by profession and interest, amid a weeks-long popular uprising against the country's ruling elites.
"Independence is for the people, not for the politicians or the army," Samer Abboud, an unemployed 27-year-old told Al Jazeera from Beirut’s Martyr’s Square. "They usually do their parades here and close the road on us. This time we’re closing the road and celebrating the nation."
The participants showed no opposition to the army - many cars were bedecked with posters of army chief General Joseph Aoun, and protesters clad in military-style outfits waved flags bearing the army seal.
But the separation between the civilian parade and the one for politicians was symbolic of the distance between a ruling class that critics say has become increasingly reclusive and detached as its people revolt for the 37th straight day.
The Lebanese uprising began on October 17, when protesters took to the streets in opposition to proposals for new taxes, but quickly turned into an outspoken movement against Lebanon’s post-war rulers and the country's political system, where power is apportioned among religious and ethnic groups.
'Suffer similar issues'
Professionals participating in Friday’s parade said their presence gave added legitimacy to a movement that has already brought down a government.
"It’s important to be here as professionals because each sector has its own demands but at the same time, we suffer from similar issues. The agricultural sector suffers from a lot of corruption, just like many others," Rana Hasan, a 33-year-old agricultural engineer wearing a straw hat, told Al Jazeera.
Near Hasan, a banner hung on a metal barricade made the point that Lebanon had gained independence from France in 1943, freed itself from Israeli occupation in 2000 and pushed Syria to withdraw in 2005
On October 17, the day the ongoing protests broke out, Lebanon began gaining its independence from the corrupt, the banner read.
