In October 2019, hundreds of thousands of Lebanese from all walks of life spontaneously took to the streets to topple the confessional political system and those sectarian elites responsible for the deteriorating socioeconomic situation in Lebanon. Dubbed Thawrat Tishreen (the October Revolution), the leaderless protest movement gave hope to those seeking change as it transcended sectarian identities and socioeconomic statuses, confirming citizens’ willingness to coalesce around anti-sectarian national interests. Recognizing that taking to the streets alone cannot bring about political change, some activists formed political parties to challenge the system from within while others utilized art as a form of resistance. Based on interviews with members of emerging groups and artists, this paper bridges the gap between the method of constructive resistance – a form of resistance that undermines existing power structures through building desired alternatives (Lilja 2021; Vinthagen 2015) – and the concept of artivism – a portmanteau of art and activism, in which artworks and creative expression serve to raise awareness and foster social change (al-Rammal 2022). It investigates the success of emerging groups that relied on secular political agendas against established sectarian parties. In addition to unexpectedly garnering 13 out of 128 seats in the 2022 parliamentary elections and forming the Forces of Change bloc, independent and secular nominees achieved other small but significant victories against the regime in syndicate and university student council elections, usually dominated by traditional parties. The paper also examines how activists used art – such as graffiti, cartoons, and music – to express political dissent and reclaim public spaces. It concludes that the triumph of anti-establishment individuals in different spheres underscores prospects of political change and bottom-up desectarianization, while art can deconstruct sectarian leaders’ influence and defy the regime in Lebanon beyond protest movements. As the protests have demonstrated their ineffectiveness in forcing politicians to reform the political system, other means and strategies need to be examined for future activism in Lebanon.