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Schools and many businesses have also shut their doors. Protesters have blocked roads across the country for days.
An anti-government protester displays the words "Revolution" left, and "Lebanon" right, in Arabic on her hands.Credit:AP
People from all sects and walks of life have flooded the streets for 11 days, furious at a sectarian ruling elite they accuse of plundering state resources for personal gain.
The protests, ignited in part by a government plan to tax WhatsApp calls, have swept Lebanon at a time of deep economic crisis. Efforts by the army to persuade protesters to unblock the roads have failed.
Amid a sea of Lebanese flags and music blaring from loudspeakers, people joined hands along coastal roads on Sunday, aiming to span 171 kilometres from the south to the north.
"What's happening is proof of how peacefully we are protesting, when you see people all holding hands and having one heart," said Nadine Labaki, an Oscar-nominated Lebanese filmmaker taking part in the chain in Beirut. "Today is a fateful day."
Thousands of Lebanese have formed a human chain along highways and coastal roads to link Beirut and other cities in a show of solidarity with the anti-government protests.Credit:AP
At the Vatican, Pope Francis offered his prayers on Sunday for young protesters in Lebanon and asked for the international community's support to keep the country a place of "peaceful coexistence".
The size and geographic reach of the protests have been extraordinary in a country where political movements have long been divided along sectarian lines and struggle to draw nationwide appeal.
"We're here to show the whole world that we are united," said Rasha Hijazi, joining hands with others in the southern city of Sidon. "Everyone is coming to stay united against the corruption we are living with in this country."
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Asked in a WhatsApp message what was expected at the political level, one senior politician replied "deadlock". A second said "there are no new developments regarding the deadlock".
Lebanon's Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rai said the government could not ignore the people's "cry" for a small, politically neutral cabinet and should comply with their demands before it is too late, the National News Agency reported.
He also urged protesters to allow freedom of movement and not to act "as if you are masters of the roads".
Reuters