Beirut Separation Wall Removed 24 Hours after Installment
Naharnet/August 25/15/Prime Minister Tammam Salam gave instructions on Tuesday to remove a concrete wall installed by the authorities in downtown Beirut a day after violent protests. The wall was erected on Monday at Riad al-Solh Square near the Grand Serail after large violent anti-government protests shook the area on Sunday.
ollowing Salam’s decisions, several protesters were seen climbing and sitting on the wall holding Lebanese flags. The wall’s erection had drawn sharp criticism with graffiti artists converging on the area to express their resentment to government inaction. The artists were quick to draw graffiti satirizing political parties and accusing politicians of being “monsters behind the wall.”Some social media activists likened it to the Berlin Wall and others to the separation barrier built by Israel in the West Bank.Some dubbed it a wall of shame. “It took Israel years before it created that wall of disgrace to isolate the Palestinians. It took the Lebanese government two days to create a wall against its own people,” said a man on Facebook.
“The ugliest thing is to create a wall separating the authorities and the people,” said another. The activists also called via Facebbok and Twitter for holding Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq accountable for ordering the wall’s erection. But they were quick to welcome Salam’s decision on Tuesday. The large protests erupted on Saturday over anger about the heaps of trash accumulating in Beirut’s streets after the closure of the Naameh landfill more than a month ago.But they turned violent on Sunday when thugs infiltrated peaceful demonstrators and clashed with police.
Minor Scuffles as Protesters Rally in Riad al-Solh for 4th Day
Agence France Presse/aharnet/August 25/15/Large crowds rallied Tuesday at Beirut’s Riad al-Solh Square for a fourth day to denounce the government’s performance, in a protest that remained largely peaceful despite minor scuffles with security forces. Two people were injured as security forces used batons to push away protesters after some participants described as “infiltrators” hurled rocks and “molotov cocktails” at police, the Internal Security Forces and state-run National News Agency said.
Organizers from the “We Want Accountability” movement immediately intervened to calm the situation, forming a human wall between security forces and protesters. The movement ended its sit-in at 9:00 pm, announcing that it would not be responsible for any person who remains in the square after 9:00 pm. It also announced that it would return to the square on Wednesday. Protesters had carried Lebanese flags and banners expressing their anger and frustration over the government’s performance in several vital issues. Some of them chanted slogans demanding “the fall of the regime” and a “revolution against corruption.
”The protest came as Prime Minister Tammam Salam ordered the removal of a concrete blast wall at the site, which Lebanese had dubbed the “wall of shame.”The wall was erected after protests on Saturday and Sunday turned violent. The crowds swelled on Tuesday, despite the “You Stink” campaign which was behind the street protests scheduling its next official demonstration for Saturday. Protests also took place in Hasbaya, Baalbek and Nabatiyeh, calling for greater accountability. At the weekend, Salam acknowledged protesters’ frustrations and warned that his government risked becoming irrelevant if it could not address the public’s concerns. “We’re heading towards collapse if things continue as they are,” he cautioned. But a cabinet meeting on Tuesday was unable to resolve the social issue that has united protesters for a rare display of non-sectarian anger.
It was intended to discuss companies qualified to bid for new waste removal contracts. The list had drawn fire from activists who said the firms were linked to political figures and were seeking exorbitant fees. Lebanon already pays some of the world’s highest per-ton waste collection rates, and media said the companies sought to raise prices even further. The core of the crisis, which erupted after the July 17 closure of the landfill serving Beirut and its surroundings, remains unaddressed.
When the Naameh landfill closed, the government failed to identify sites for new landfills or alternative arrangements. Trash began piling up until local municipalities found temporary solutions — dumping in empty lots, river beds and even forests. Tuesday’s cabinet statement made no mention of potential landfill solutions. But it said $100 million (around 87 million euros) of development money was being allocated to the northern Akkar region, which some politicians have proposed as a potential landfill site. Media said that even after new waste management contracts were approved, it could take up to six months for collection and disposal to begin. On Monday, leaders of “You Stink” said they were regrouping after the weekend violence.
They blamed the clashes on “troublemakers,” but also acknowledged that they needed time to organize better. They called a new demonstration for Saturday night against Lebanon’s “corrupt political class.”Lebanon has been without a president for more than a year, and parliament has twice extended its own mandate since the last elections in 2009. The country has long suffered chronic electricity and water problems and has seen its resources stretched yet further by an influx of more than a million Syrian refugees.
Security Members and Civilians Interrogated over Weekend Demos
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/August 25/15/Military Prosecutor Judge Dani al Zaani kicked off interrogations with security members and civilians who were arrested against the backdrop of the demonstrations in Downtown Beirut that turned into a war zone over the weekend leaving several injured, al-Joumhouria daily reported. Some detainees were released after it became clear that they were not involved in the riots or attacks on the security forces, the National News Agency reported. “Investigations were kicked off with scores of security members, mainly the anti-riot police, who engaged in a confrontation with undisciplined demonstrators from behind both sides of the barbed wire,” informed sources told the daily on Tuesday.
“Probes have also included seven civilians who had major roles in orchestrating the riots and are still under arrest for investigations,” the sources stated. They added that the investigations are taking a very fast pace in order to conclude the file as soon as possible. A forensic doctor has been tasked to check the injured individuals that has shown rubber bullets injuries. On the other hand, related authorities said they received detailed reports from security forces factions who were on the ground during Saturday and Sunday demonstrations, stating that more than 100 military members were injured. Anger about the heaps of trash accumulating in Beirut’s streets boiled over this week with thousands protesting in the street against a government so dysfunctional it can’t hold elections or pick a president, much less deliver basic services. The “You Stink” garbage campaign called for protests which began as peaceful demonstrations but turned violent this weekend. A small group of young men repeatedly tried to tear down a barbed wire fence in Riad al-Solh square separating the crowds from the Lebanese government building, which houses the prime minister’s office and the Cabinet. On Saturday and Sunday night, police fired tear gas and water cannons at the protesters, battling them in the streets of Beirut in dramatic clashes. Sporadic gunfire could be heard in the street. The two days of chaos wounded dozens.
