Lebanese people directed their grief over the deadly blast that happened at Beirut’s port on Tuesday at the full spectrum of Lebanon’s political factions by initiating an anti-government demonstration featuring thousands of rebellious protesters. Over the weekend, demonstrators stormed the government’s ministries and buildings, including the Economy and Environment ministries, calling for authorities to be held accountable for the disastrous explosion, as well as to give up their seats. Riots and demonstrations started on Saturday and the situation has been escalating ever since, so in case you missed it, here’s a recap of what’s going on in Lebanon.
The blast demonstration was fueled with fury and resentment over the corruption and incompetence that has grown out of control; protestors raided the city’s central Martyrs Square from the early afternoon on Saturday, leading a huge movement under the slogan “resign or hang” with protestors holding cardboard cutouts of the country’s top politicians, including members of the Shia militant group, Hezbollah. Protestors are delivering a crystal clear message for officials, threatening both their positions and subsequently their lives if they refuse to raise the white flag and stand down for others to take charge instead, hoping for political and economic growth.
Violent clashes erupted between protestors and Lebanon’s security forces, creating a deadly scene of stone-throwing, fires, and rubber bullets together with gas bombs shooting back at the furious crowds as they were nearing the parliamentary headquarters, blurring the streets with clouds of teargas and loud screams of anger. Yet some protestors aiming for a peaceful march left after brutality took over the scene.
The Red Cross stated that more than 110 people were injured by rubber bullets during the demonstrations while 32 people were hospitalized. A member of the security forces was reportedly killed after being beaten up by the demonstrators during a riot, flooding the capital with more blood even before the blood of those killed during the explosion dries.
Crowds have been chanting against the government calling them “killers” and carrying flags that read “we’re held hostage in our own country” along with many heart-touching stories that have been seen in the demonstrations.
A girl joined the rally holding a placard of a picture of her friend Rawan, who lost her life following the blast, with the girl screaming to the government that they’ve got her blood on their hands. A devastated mother has also been moving down the streets asking the protestors if they saw her son, who they later discovered was dead during the blast, as the mother kept saying, “Did you see my son? He has beautiful hazel eyes”, leaving everyone devastated and helpless. An older man was spotted being rushed to the ambulance while covered in blood after he was shot in the eyes and head by security forces using rubber bullets.
Protests were bound to shake the country once more, with plenty of legislators resigning as well as the Prime Minister offering an early election, but this requires two more months’ of preparations. Yet a furious Lebanese community doesn’t seem to be settling for any less than the country’s political officials giving up their seats immediately. As protestors have gathered to give commands, they are no longer willing to wait for approval from those running a dysfunctional political system. “We want all of them to resign, from Hezbollah to the rest, from the lowest to the highest,” said a 25-year-old protester.
Protestors are definitely not willing to accept compromises as they refuse to put trust in rulers who went as far as leaving a vast stockpile of explosives for six whole years unattended, despite the warnings and potential disastrous risks they impose, putting Lebanese lives at risk all this time. This negligence finally resulted in a blast that ripped through the capital, causing the death of at least 150 citizens, thousands injured, and hundreds of thousands without a home. The population is traumatized.
Many Lebanese celebrities and public figures joined forces with protestors in the rally to encourage more people to join. One of the very first demonstrators who lost their lives during the explosion was a young girl; her death triggered further anger and motivation for citizens to carry on with the demonstrations and bring some semblance of justice to every lost soul.
By 9 pm, persistent barrages of tear gas forced the clearance of the square, yet protestors have no intention of giving up on what they want to achieve for their beloved country. The situation is still chaotic and the rising anger within the Lebanese community doesn’t seem to be cooling off anytime soon.