A Bundle Of English Reports, News and Editorials For November 25-26/2019 Addressing the On Going Mass Demonstrations & Sit In-ins In Iranian Occupied Lebanon in its 40th Day
Compiled By: Elias Bejjani
November 25-26/2019
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on November 25-26/2019
U.N. Security Council Urges Lebanese to Avoid ‘Violence’, Hold ‘Dialogue’ & keep protests peaceful
Gunfire, Tensions as Hizbullah, AMAL Supporters Roam Streets on Motorbikes
Al-Rahi Slams Attack on Protesters as ‘Attack on Lebanon’
Hizbullah Calls Car Crash near Jiye Roadblock a ‘Terrorist Crime’
Kubis Urges Lebanese Parties to ‘Control Supporters’, Avoid Exploiting Protests
Report: British Envoy in Beirut, An ‘Initiative’ Likely to Help Lebanon
UK Envoy: Ready to Support Lebanon but Govt. Formation a Domestic Issue
Aoun, Hariri Meet UK Envoy, Discuss Lebanon Situation
Protesters Defiant despite Attack by Hizbullah, AMAL Supporters
Key Beirut road reopens after rival groups clash overnight, businesses call for strike
Lebanese army opens main north Beirut road as other cities’ roads remain blocked
Lebanese Hezbollah supporters attack protesters near the Ring Bridge
Lebanese protesters clash with supporters of Hezbollah, Amal in Beirut
Key Lebanon Roads Blocked after Hizbullah, AMAL Supporters Attack Protesters
Hizbullah, AMAL Supporters Attack Protesters as Roads Blocked across Lebanon
Vehicles Vandalized in Beirut Streets during Night Clashes
Berri Warns against Strife, Urges Security Forces to Keep Roads Open
State Prosecutor Orders Probe into Central Beirut Violence
Judge orders Lebanese bank to release depositor’s funds
Hezbollah denies statement attributed to Sherry on Ring Bridge incidents
Army chief meets Murphy, Moore, retired military officers’ delegation
Students, Instructors join protesters at Halba Square
Jumblatt: Roads should remain open so that average citizens can ensure daily living needs
Batish, Lazarrini tackle current economic situation
Abu Fakhr’s family refrains from decision to block Khaldeh Triangle
Arrest warrant against killer of Alaa Abu Fakhr’
Protesters stage sit-in on Baabda road, up calls for speedy PM designation
Investigations launched into Ring scuffles under supervision of Judge Oweidat.
The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on November 25-26/2019
U.N. Security Council Urges Lebanese to Avoid ‘Violence’, Hold ‘Dialogue’ & keep protests peaceful
Agence France Presse/November 25/2019
The U.N. Security Council on Monday called for “the peaceful character of the protests” in Lebanon to be upheld after overnight attacks by supporters of Hizbullah and AMAL. Members “called on all actors to conduct intensive national dialogue and to maintain the peaceful character of the protests by avoiding violence and respecting the right to peaceful assembly in protest,” it said in a statement approved unanimously at the end of a regular council meeting on Lebanon. They also commended “the role of the Lebanese Armed Forces and other State security institutions in protecting this right.”
The members of the Security Council also noted that “this is a critical time for Lebanon,” stressed the importance of “the timely formation of a new government able to respond to the aspirations of the Lebanese people and to restore the stability of the country within the constitutional framework.”
At around midnight on Sunday, Hizbullah and AMAL Movement supporters attacked protesters at the Ring flyover near the capital’s main protest camp.
Brandishing party flags, they hurled stones at peaceful demonstrators and taunted them with insults as riot police deployed to contain the violence and eventually fired tear gas. The attackers also ravaged a nearby encampment, tearing down tents and damaging storefronts in their most serious assault on the protesters so far. At least 10 demonstrators were wounded, according to civil defense.
Gunfire, Tensions as Hizbullah, AMAL Supporters Roam Streets on Motorbikes
Naharnet/November 25/2019
Army troops and security forces quickly intervened Monday evening after supporters of the AMAL Movement and Hizbullah arrived at Beirut’s Martyrs Square on scooters and hurled insults and a few rocks at protesters who have an encampment in the area. The situation was quickly brought under control although tensions remain high. Security forces later reinforced their presence in the capital’s Martyrs Square and Riad al-Solh. Media reports said the motorbikes arrived from the Beirut southern suburb of Msharrafiyeh, where supporters of the two parties were holding a sit-in in protest at a car crash that killed two people near a roadblock in Jiye. Later on Monday, gunfire erupted in the Beirut area of Cola after convoys of motorcycles passed in the area. The convoys had roamed several streets in Beirut and its suburbs. TV networks said the gunshots were fired in the air, causing no injuries. The army immediately sent reinforcements to the area. Supporters of al-Mustaqbal Movement had earlier blocked the Qasqas road in Beirut after Hizbullah and AMAL supporters passed in the area on motorbikes and shouted slogans. MTV said gunshots were also fired in the air there. The army quickly intervened and deployed in the area. Al-Mustaqbal meanwhile issued a statement urging its supporters not to be dragged into “provocations aimed at igniting strife” and to “refrain from taking part in any street protests or convoys.”Elsewhere, supporters of Hizbullah and AMAL attacked the main protest site in the southern city of Tyre and torched the tents of protesters.
Al-Rahi Slams Attack on Protesters as ‘Attack on Lebanon’
Naharnet/November 25/2019
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi on Monday condemned the overnight attack on protesters in central Beirut as an “attack on Lebanon.” “The attack did not only target peaceful youths, but also the army and security forces,” he said during a visit to Cairo. “We condemn this approach towards a sacred cause, because the young men and women are demanding the welfare of Lebanon and its people and institutions and the attack against them is an attack on Lebanon and the sacred cause,” the patriarch added. He also condemned the attacks on “public and private properties, cars and shops,” while urging protesters to “show restraint” and “cooperate with security forces and the army to preserve the public welfare.” At around midnight on Sunday, Hizbullah and AMAL Movement supporters attacked protesters at the Ring flyover near the capital’s main protest camp. Brandishing party flags, they hurled stones at peaceful demonstrators and taunted them with insults as riot police deployed to contain the violence and eventually fired tear gas. The attackers also ravaged a nearby encampment, tearing down tents and damaging storefronts in their most serious assault on the protesters so far. At least 10 demonstrators were wounded, civil defense said, without specifying the extent of their injuries. On Monday morning, scattered stones, shattered glass and the mangled remains of tents littered the ground in the main protest camp.Around the square, car windows had been smashed with rocks.
Hizbullah Calls Car Crash near Jiye Roadblock a ‘Terrorist Crime’
Naharnet/November 25/2019
Hizbullah on Monday described as a “terrorist crime” the car crash that resulted in the death of two citizens near a protest roadblock on Jiye’s highway. “The horrible crime resulted from militia-like attacks by groups of bandits who are practicing the ugliest forms of humiliation and terrorism against innocent civilians commuting on roads,” Hizbullah’s media department said in a statement. “This vicious attack that targeted the two dear martyrs is an attack on all Lebanese and a threat to civil peace and social stability, that’s why we call on everyone to fully shoulder their responsibilities in order to unveil the circumstances of this terrorist crime and punish the attackers,” the party added. The two victims have been identified as Hussein Shalhoub and his relative Sanaa al-Jundi. Shalhoub’s daughter who was with them in the car escaped unharmed. CCTV footage shows the speeding car hitting a metallic barrier before driving into a pole placed on the ground and catching fire. Protesters in the area said the metallic barrier was erected by the army and that they were hundreds of meters away. Some social media users have accused protesters of hurling rocks at the car, accusations denied by the protesters. Pro-Hizbullah media outlets have in recent weeks accused political rivals, especially al-Mustaqbal Movement, of playing a role in the blocking of some roads in the country, particularly the Jiye highway which links Beirut to the South.
Kubis Urges Lebanese Parties to ‘Control Supporters’, Avoid Exploiting Protests
Naharnet/November 25/2019
U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jan Kubis on Monday urged Lebanon’s political parties to “control their supporters” and refrain from exploiting the protests that have been sweeping the country since October 17. “The attack of last night of groups under Hizbullah & Amal flags on demonstrators again exposed how dangerous are such actions of political activists, how easily they can trigger confrontation, even sectarian ones, how challenging it is for security forces to protect law and order,” Kubis said in a tweet. “I urge all Lebanese political forces to control their supporters, to avoid using the national protests for pursuing their political agenda,” he added. At around midnight on Sunday, Hizbullah and AMAL Movement supporters attacked protesters at the Ring flyover near the capital’s main protest camp. Brandishing party flags, they hurled stones at demonstrators and taunted them with insults as riot police deployed to contain the violence and eventually fired tear gas. The attackers also ravaged a nearby encampment, tearing down tents and damaging storefronts in their most serious assault on the protesters so far. Hizbullah, the Free Patriotic Movement and their allies have meanwhile accused al-Mustaqbal Movement, the Lebanese Forces and the Progressive Socialist Party of taking advantage of the protests to advance their political agendas. The three parties deny the accusations, saying some of their supporters have joined the popular uprising without being instructed to do so.
Report: British Envoy in Beirut, An ‘Initiative’ Likely to Help Lebanon
Naharnet/November 25/2019
A British envoy arrived in Beirut on Monday to meet with senior Lebanese officials in light of the latest developments in the country. Richard Moore, Director General for Political Affairs at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office first met President Michel Aoun early morning.
He will also meet Speaker Nabih Berri, caretaker PM Saad Hariri and a number of officials, European diplomatic sources told al-Jomhouria daily. Britain has provided strong support to Lebanon in recent years in the military, technical and logistical fields and reinforcing land units and border regiments, especially the education and health sectors. “It is preparing to expand this initiative diplomatically and internationally, which is the first British move at this level,” said the daily. The sources linked the visit to the results of the US-French-British tripartite meeting held in Paris last Tuesday as part of an international effort to help Lebanon. The meeting was hosted by the French envoy to Beirut, Director of the Middle East and North Africa at the French Foreign Ministry Christophe Farnaud, in the presence of his US and British counterparts respectively, David Schenker and Stephanie al-Qaq and Moore. Last week France sent Farnaud to Lebanon where he held talks with all the political actors. The sources said that Britain wants to expand and invest the Paris tripartite meeting and turn it to a direct British-French initiative to help Lebanon out of the current crisis with US support, to present it to the Atlantic Conference in Paris this at the end of the week. Ongoing nationwide anti-government protests in Lebanon since October 17 have brought down the government, but a new government has yet to be formed.
UK Envoy: Ready to Support Lebanon but Govt. Formation a Domestic Issue
Naharnet/November 25/2019
Richard Moore, Director General for Political Affairs at the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, is visiting Lebanon on Monday for high level meetings with Lebanese officials, accompanied by Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Lebanon Chris Rampling, a press release said.
His meetings will include discussions with President General Michel Aoun, Caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Speaker Nabih Berri, Caretaker Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil, and the LAF Commander-in-Chief General Joseph Aoun. In his meetings, Richard Moore will listen to the views of interlocutors on the current situation in Lebanon, and underline the urgent need to form a government and implement policies that reflect the aspirations of the Lebanese people including for better governance. It is vital that a new government is formed quickly so that it is able to implement the economic reforms which will help Lebanon regain long-term stability and more inclusive growth. Director General Richard Moore said: ‘I am pleased to be able to visit Beirut again, at what is perhaps a seminal moment for Lebanon. We have been following developments here closely, as the UK has long been an important partner and supporter for Lebanon, for example investing $200m last year to support Lebanese security, stability, prosperity and sovereignty. We and partners in the international community stand ready to continue our support to Lebanon. But let me be clear that the matter of choosing leaders and a Cabinet is a domestic issue for the Lebanese. The people of Lebanon have been clear in their demand for improved governance, and they should be heard. As protests continue, we recognise that the security agencies have a difficult but essential role in safeguarding Lebanese security. It is vital that the right to peaceful protest continues to be respected, and suppressing the protest movement through violence or intimidation from any organisation is completely unacceptable.’Ambassador Rampling said: ‘We are pleased to have Director General Moore here at this crucial time for Lebanon. As well as listening to the views of Lebanese interlocutors, our meetings today reiterate the importance the UK places on having a new, capable, responsive Lebanese government, able to implement the overdue reforms that will benefit all Lebanese.’
Aoun, Hariri Meet UK Envoy, Discuss Lebanon Situation
Naharnet/November 25/2019
President Michel Aoun and caretaker PM Saad Hariri separately held meetings Monday with Richard Moore, Director General for Political Affairs at the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office where talks discussed the latest developments. Aoun met Moore at Baabda palace and discussed with him the current general situation, the bilateral relations between Lebanon and the UK and the repercussions of the massive presence of displaced Syrians in Lebanon. During the meeting, Aoun commended the Lebanese-British ties and cooperation in various fields, especially the UK support for the Lebanese army and its land border regiments. The President maintained that the signature of a Lebanese-British partnership agreement “was the last diplomatic accomplishment made before the resignation of the government.”The two men also dwelt on the file of Syrian refugees and the repercussions of their massive presence in Lebanon on all sectors.For his part, Moore briefed Aoun on the recent meeting in Paris attended by representatives of France, the UK, and USA. He also underlined his country’s commitment to helping Lebanon and supporting its constitutional legitimacy. The meeting took place in presence of British Ambassador to Lebanon, Chris Rampling, and Caretaker State Minister for Presidency Affairs, Salim Jreissati. Later during the day, Hariri met Moore at the Center House accompanied by British Ambassador to Lebanon Chris Rampling, in the presence of former Minister Ghattas Khoury. “The meeting focused on the developments in Lebanon and the mission undertaken by the British envoy in Lebanon,” said Hariri’s office. Before meeting Hariri, Moore met with outgoing minister Jebran Bassil. Before his meeting with officials, Moore said in a statement released by the UK embassy, that “Britain and partners in international community stand ready to support Lebanon but choosing leaders and a Cabinet is a domestic issue for the Lebanese.”
Key Beirut road reopens after rival groups clash overnight, businesses call for strike
Arab News/November 25/2019
BEIRUT: A key road has reopened in the Lebanese capital following clashes throughout the night between rival groups. The confrontations began when protesters blocked the street and were attacked by supporters of the two main Shiite political parties, Hezbollah and Amal. Both sides threw stones at each other for hours as security forces formed a barrier separating them. Lebanon’s massive protests against corruption and mismanagement by the country’s political elite are now in their second month, but have so far remained largely peaceful. The confrontations on the Ring Road, which broke out late Sunday and dragged into Monday morning, were some of the worst since the nationwide demonstrations began on Oct. 17. Iran-backed Hezbollah says the protests are being exploited by foreign powers with an agenda against the group. Meanwhile, a business group representing much of Lebanon’s private sector called on Monday for a three-day general strike to press the country’s divided politicians to form a government and end the crisis that has brought the economy to a standstill. Despite the unprecedented nationwide protests, which led to the resignation of Prime Minister Saad Al-Hariri on Oct. 29 and a worsening economic crisis, deeply divided politicians have yet to agree on a new government.
Lebanese army opens main north Beirut road as other cities’ roads remain blocked
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/Monday, 25 November 2019
The Lebanese army opened up the main road in Jal el-Dib, just north of Beirut, on Monday and removed protesters’ tents in the area, an Al Arabiya correspondent reported. Eight people were arrested during the operation, the correspondent reported. Meanwhile, protesters continue to block most of the main and secondary roads in and around Lebanon’s Tripoli, the National News Agency (NNA) reported on Monday. The news agency added that protesters burned car tires and trash cans under a main bridge in Tripoli, while some public workers attempted to open inner roads in various neighborhoods. The city is seeing a gradual flow of traffic and the reopening of shops, schools, and universities, as well as government buildings and banks. However, many students and employees have still not been able to reach their workplaces or educational institutions. NNA also reported that roads in Sidon are witnessing normal traffic as of Monday morning, while schools and other educational institutions remained closed. Lebanon is expected to witness a general strike across the country on Monday, Al Arabiya’s correspondent reported, as the army takes action against protesters blocking roads.
Lebanese Hezbollah supporters attack protesters near the Ring Bridge
Al Arabiya English, The Associated Press/Monday, 25 November 2019
A group of Hezbollah supporters attacked demonstrators protesting against Lebanon’s political elite in central Beirut late Sunday, triggering confrontations as security forces separated the two sides. The Lebanese Civil Defense hospitalized five protesters with different injuries, one of whom was subjected to a knife attack. The attacks by young men armed with clubs and metal rods chanting pro-Hezbollah slogans continued into the early hours of Monday as riot police and soldiers formed a human barrier preventing them from reaching the protesters. The supporters, who were riding motorbikes with the flags of Hezbollah and Amal Movement, stoned the protesters, who retaliated. The attacks by young men armed with clubs and metal rods chanting pro-Hezbollah slogans began late Sunday and continued after midnight as riot police and soldiers tried to prevent them from reaching the protesters.
The attacks occurred after protesters blocked a major road that links eastern neighborhoods of the capital with western parts. Since last month, Lebanese from all religious backgrounds have taken to the streets en masse to cry out against what they view as an incompetent and corrupt ruling class, forcing the government to resign.
Lebanese protesters clash with supporters of Hezbollah, Amal in Beirut
BEIRUT (Reuters) November 25/2019
Clashes broke out between anti-government demonstrators and supporters of the Shi’ite groups Hezbollah and Amal in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, early on Monday, as tensions escalated when demonstrators blocked a main bridge. Lebanon has faced five weeks of anti-government protests, fueled by anger at corruption among the sectarian politicians who have governed Lebanon for decades. Demonstrators want to see the entire ruling class gone from power. Hezbollah and Amal were both represented in the coalition government led by Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri, who quit on Oct. 29 after the protests began. The heavily armed Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, had opposed Hariri’s resignation. Army soldiers and riot police formed a barrier separating the protesters from the supporters of the Shi’ite groups on a main road known as the Ring Bridge as rocks were thrown by both sides, television footage broadcast by Lebanese media showed. Security forces fired tear gas to disperse the crowds, three local television stations reported. Supporters of Hezbollah and Amal waved the groups’ flags. Earlier, they had chanted: “Shia, Shia” and slogans in support of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. On the other side, demonstrators chanted: “Revolution, revolution”. Lebanese broadcaster al-Jadeed reported that fighting apparently broke out when Hezbollah and Amal supporters blamed other demonstrators for making offensive comments about Nasrallah. Reuters could not independently verify the report. The ground was strewn with rocks. A motorcycle was set on fire. The Lebanese civil defense said on its Twitter account that it was administering first aid to five people suffering from “various injuries.” It was the worst tension in Beirut since a mob loyal to Hezbollah and Amal attacked and destroyed the main protest camp in central Beirut last month. The protests have been overwhelmingly peaceful. Reporting by Issam Abdullah, Laila Bassam and Nadine Awadalla in Beirut; Additional reporting by Nayera Abdullah in Cairo; Editing by Peter Cooney. Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Key Lebanon Roads Blocked after Hizbullah, AMAL Supporters Attack Protesters
Associated Press/Agence France Presse/Naharnet/November 25/2019
Key roads around Lebanon were blocked by anti-government protesters on Monday following clashes throughout the night with AMAL and Hizbullah supporters. Protesters responded with anger at the night attacks blocking key roads around the country and in Beirut’s vital streets.
The confrontations began when protesters blocked the street and were attacked by supporters of Hizbullah and AMAL, with army reinforcements intervening to diffuse tensions. Shortly before midnight on Sunday, men on foot and scooters arrived at a roadblock set up by the protesters across a key street in the capital, local television showed. They shouted insults and chanted in support of the chiefs of Hizbullah and AMAL, before briefly breaking through and attacking some demonstrators. Those at the roadblock chanted “peaceful, peaceful”, as the security forces and army reinforcements deployed in a thick line between both sides in the early hours of Monday morning. The counter-protesters also headed to a main nerve centre of protests nearby and destroyed tents there. Lebanon’s massive protests against corruption and mismanagement by the country’s political elite are now in their second month, but have so far remained largely peaceful. The confrontations on the Ring Road, which broke out late Sunday and dragged into Monday morning, were some of the worst since the nationwide demonstrations began on Oct. 17. Iran-backed Hizbullah alleges the protests are being exploited by foreign powers with an agenda against the group.
Hizbullah, AMAL Supporters Attack Protesters as Roads Blocked across Lebanon
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/November 25/2019
Supporters of Hizbullah and the AMAL Movement launched fresh attacks late Sunday on anti-corruption protesters in central Beirut, as roads were blocked across Lebanon in an escalation of anti-corruption protests. Shortly before midnight on Sunday, men on foot and scooters arrived at a roadblock set up by anti-graft protesters across the Ring flyover in central Beirut. Fistfights first erupted before the AMAL and Hizbullah supporters descended on Riad al-Solh and Martyrs Square where they reportedly vandalized tents and threatened protesters. They shouted insults and chanted in support of the chiefs of the Shiite movements Hizbulah and AMAL, before briefly breaking through and attacking some demonstrators. Those at the roadblock chanted “peaceful, peaceful”, as the security forces and army reinforcements deployed in a thick line between both sides in the early hours of Monday morning. The tensions came after a peaceful day of demonstrations, more than a month into a spontaneous nationwide street movement against the political elite. On Saturday, Lebanese security forces briefly detained five youths, including three minors, for allegedly pulling down a sign for President Michel Aoun’s political party in the town of Hammana east of Beirut, sparking outrage on social media. Security forces released them after midnight, the Committee of Lawyers for the Defence of Protesters said. The army said two of the children were 15 years old and the third was 12. “Down with the regime that arrests children,” a Twitter user said.
“When a 12-year-old child manages to shake the state’s throne, you know the state is corrupt,” another wrote.
Hundreds of arrests
During the first month of demonstrations, security forces arrested 300 people including 12 minors who were released within 24 to 48 hours, according to the lawyers’ committee. But 11 people — including two minors — remain in detention accused of attacking a hotel in the southern city of Tyre during the first week of the uprising. The demonstrators managed to bring down the government less than two weeks into the protests, but it remains in a caretaker capacity and no new cabinet has since been formed. Late Sunday, protesters blocked major roads in several parts of the country and called for a general strike the following day in protest at the lack of progress in forming a fresh government. Earlier, hundreds had gathered in protest centres in Beirut, the northern city of Tripoli and in Tyre. In Beirut’s Martyrs’ Square, hundreds of women and men demanded their rights, some waving the national red and white flag or chanting “Revolution, Revolution!” Lebanon’s protests have brought together people of all ages from across the political spectrum, tired of what they describe as sectarian politics three decades after a civil war. In the latest show of unity, a festive mood had reigned Sunday afternoon as Lebanese came together in public spaces across the country on the second day of the weekend. North of the capital women prepared traditional salads to share, while a group of men danced on a beach south of the city, state television footage showed. The Free Patriotic Movement party that Aoun founded is now led by his son-in-law, outgoing foreign minister Jebran Bassil, one of the most reviled figures in the protests. Hizbollah is the only party not to have disarmed after the 1975-1990 civil war and plays a key role in Lebanese politics.
Vehicles Vandalized in Beirut Streets during Night Clashes
Naharnet/November 25/2019
Dozens of vehicles in Monot street and Saifi village, east of Beirut Central District, were vandalized after AMAL and Hizbullah supporters attacked anti-government protesters after midnight on Sunday across the Ring Bridge thoroughfare.With army reinforcements intervening to diffuse tensions, AMAL and Hizbullah supporters reportedly tried to find a way out fleeing through side roads of Monot, Saifi and other. According to witnesses, a group of men chanting ‘Shia, Shia’ torched vehicles and smashed with metal rods and stone bricks the windows of an entire row of cars parked on the side of Monot street and Saifi. An old man, a taxi driver, had his cab parked in Monot and all smashed up. “I live here, I woke up to the scene, I hope someone would compensate for me,” he told LBCI. “I am one of the residents of Monot street,” a young female whose car was torched told LBCI reporter. “We were at home, we were not taking part in any of the protests taking place in the Ring area. At around 2:00 a.m. we heard people screaming and chanting ‘Shia Shia’ and then we heard the sound of shattering glass. They did all that to the entire vehicles parked here,” she said. Clashes erupted throughout the night between rival groups, some of the worst violence since protests against the country’s ruling elite began last month. The confrontations began Sunday evening after supporters of the country’s two main Shiite political parties, Hizbullah and the AMAL Movement of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, attacked protesters who had blocked a main Beirut thoroughfare known as the Ring Road. The young men arrived on scooters carrying clubs and metal rods and chanting pro-Hizbullah slogans, beating up several of the protesters. Both sides then threw stones at each other for hours as security forces formed a barrier to keep them apart. The clashes lasted until early Monday morning. Lebanon’s massive protests against corruption and mismanagement by the country’s leaders are now in their second month, but have so far remained largely peaceful.
Berri Warns against Strife, Urges Security Forces to Keep Roads Open
Naharnet/November 25/2019
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Monday condemned the overnight incidents in central Beirut and on the Jiye highway between the capital and the South. The incidents “are condemned by all standards, seeing as the struggle for livelihood was baptized in blood with the martyrdom of Hussein Shalhoub and Sanaa al-Jundi,” Berri said, referring to a car crash in which the two citizens were killed near a roadblock on the Jiye highway. CCTV footage shows the speeding car hitting a metallic barrier before driving into a pole placed on the ground and catching fire. Protesters in the area said the metallic barrier was erected by the army and that they were hundreds of meters away. Some social media users have accused protesters of hurling rocks at the car. Berri urged security forces and army troops to keep the country’s roads open. “We call on all Lebanese to avoid descending into the dangerous implications of strife and we renew the call for security forces and the Lebanese Army to take strict measures to keep the country’s routes passable,” the Speaker added. He also called for “preserving the right to express opinions under the ceiling of the law and in a manner that does not harm civil peace, the dignities of all people and public and private property.”The Ring highway in central Beirut and the nearby Riad al-Solh, Martyrs Square and Monot areas had overnight witnessed an attack by supporters of Hizbullah and Berri’s AMAL Movement. Brandishing party flags, they hurled stones at peaceful demonstrators and taunted them with insults as riot police deployed to contain the violence. The attackers also ravaged a nearby encampment, tearing down tents and damaging storefronts in their most serious assault on the protesters so far. At least 10 demonstrators were wounded, civil defense said, without specifying the extent of their injuries.
State Prosecutor Orders Probe into Central Beirut Violence
Naharnet/November 25/2019
Judicial and security authorities on Monday launched investigations into the overnight incidents that rocked central Beirut, under the supervision of State Prosecutor Ghassan Oueidat, state-run National News Agency said. NNA said the violence “resulted in the injury of a large number of servicemen and civilians, the vandalizing of cars and shops on Monot Street, and aggression and intimidation against innocent civilians.” Oueidat tasked the Beirut judicial police department and the central Beirut police station to hear the testimonies of the injured servicemen and civilians, both in and outside hospitals, the agency said.
He also asked for retrieving CCTV footage from the buildings around the area of the clashes in order to “identify and arrest the assailants.”At around midnight on Sunday, Hizbullah and AMAL Movement supporters attacked protesters at the Ring flyover near the capital’s main protest camp.
Brandishing party flags, they hurled stones at peaceful demonstrators and taunted them with insults as riot police deployed to contain the violence and eventually fired tear gas. The attackers also ravaged a nearby encampment, tearing down tents and damaging storefronts in their most serious assault on the protesters so far. At least 10 demonstrators were wounded, civil defense said, without specifying the extent of their injuries. On Monday morning, scattered stones, shattered glass and the mangled remains of tents littered the ground in the main protest camp. Around the square, car windows had been smashed with rocks.
Judge orders Lebanese bank to release depositor’s funds
Annahar/November 25/2019
BEIRUT: A judge has ordered Bank Byblos to release a depositor’s funds in their entirety, marking the first ruling of the such since Lebanese commercial banks began implementing informal capital controls. Ahmad Mezher, a judge in Nabatiyeh, ordered the Nabatiyeh branch of Byblos Bank to release EUR 129,000 that had been deposited in a current account. The judge ordered the bank to pay in cash or any other method of the depositor’s choosing. The bank had refused to release the funds as demanded by the depositor, citing the “extraordinary measures” Lebanon is currently facing, which the judge had found to be “illegal.”Failing to release the funds would result in the bank incurring $13,000 in damages daily. Banks have clamped limits on withdrawals of U.S. dollars as the Central Bank’s sources for dollars continue to wane, further exacerbated by a popular uprising broke out more than a month ago. Politicians are paralyzed, struggling to form a new government in the face of tens of thousands of protesters in the streets for the past month in an unprecedented uprising demanding the entire leadership go. A similar lawsuit has been filed in Beirut against the Association of Banks, its head Salim Sfeir, and member banks of the association.
Hezbollah denies statement attributed to Sherry on Ring Bridge incidents
NNA /November 25/2019
Hezbollah’s Media Relations Bureau denied the statement attributed to MP Amin Sherri by one of the media outlets on the incidents of the Ring Bridge.”MP Sherri did not make any statement to any media,” statement stressed.
Army chief meets Murphy, Moore, retired military officers’ delegation
NNA /November 25/2019
Army Commander Joseph Aoun received at his Yarzeh office US Senator Chris Murphy, at the top of a delegation, in the presence of US Ambassador to Lebanon, Elizabeth Richard. Maj. Gen. Aoun also met with a British delegation, chaired by Director General for Political Affairs at the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Richard Moore, accompanied by British Ambassador to Lebanon, Chris Rampling, and Embassy’s Military Attaché Alex Hilton. Talks reportedly touched on the bilateral relations between the two countries. On the other hand, Aoun received a delegation of retired military officers who voiced their full support to the military institution’s efforts to maintain security and stability.
Students, Instructors join protesters at Halba Square
NNA /November 25/2019
Several students and instructors from Halba and the various Akkari towns have joined protesters gathering at Halba Square, upping calls for their rights to education and job opportunities, as well as demanding change, NNA correspondent reported on Monday. Protesters have also called for an-all inclusive university for the district of Akkar and held dialogue sessions in this regard.
Jumblatt: Roads should remain open so that average citizens can ensure daily living needs
NNA /November 25/2019
Progressive Socialist Party Leader, Walid Jumblatt, on Monday said via his Twitter account that blocking roads from any side could only lead to problems, tensions, and casualties. “I condemn yesterday’s incidents in downtown Beirut and on the road leading south Lebanon, and I offer my condolences to the families of the victims,” Jumblatt tweeted.
Batish, Lazarrini tackle current economic situation
NNA /November 25/2019
Caretaker Minister of Economy and Trade, Mansour Batish, received this Monday in his office at the Ministry the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Lebanon, Philippe Lazzarini, with whom he held a tour d’horizon on the current political and economic situation in light of the accurate stage and its gravity on Lebanon.Discussions also touched on the importance of according the economic dossier the needed priority to obtain the consensus of all Lebanese parties.
Abu Fakhr’s family refrains from decision to block Khaldeh Triangle
NNA /November 25/2019
Earlier on Monday, the family of Alaa Abu Fakhr called for blocking Khaldeh Triangle road at 5:00 pm in objection to a decision to release Colonel Nidal Daou, on bail, in the case of Abu Fakhr’s assassination. However, the family has officially refrained from its decision to block the aforementioned region in light of General Prosector Judge Sawan’s decision to appeal the release of Daou. ‘
Arrest warrant against killer of Alaa Abu Fakhr’
NNA /November 25/2019
Acting Military Investigative Judge, Fadi Sawwan, issued Monday a arrest warrant against army adjutant Charbel Ojeil, for the intentional killing of Alaa Abu Fakhr. Judge Sawwan also interrogated General Nidal D. over his role in the crime, and released him upon presentation of the proof of residence.
Protesters stage sit-in on Baabda road, up calls for speedy PM designation
NNA /November 25/2019
Protestors on Monday gathered on the road leading to Baabda presidential palace, under the pedestrian bridge, amid stringent security measures. They carried banners calling for speeding up the designation of a prime minister, NNA reporter said.
Investigations launched into Ring scuffles under supervision of Judge Oweidat
NNA /November 25/2019
The judicial and security services have launched investigations into the Ring scuffles that took place at midnight yesterday, under the supervision of the Attorney General of the Court of Cassation, Judge Ghassan Oweidat. Yesterday’s scuffles in Ring area have resulted in the injury of a large number of military men and civilians, damages to cars and commercial shops in Monot Street, as well as assaults on innocent citizens.
Titles For The Latest Lebanese LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on November 25-26/2019
Lebanon investigates clashes between protesters and Hezbollah supportersSunniva Rose/The National/November 25/2019
How filmmaker Elie Kamal used Lebanon’s abandoned railways to explore his country’s past/Kaleem Aftab/The National/November 25/2019
The call for a post-sectarian Middle East in Baghdad and Beirut/Zaid M. Belbagi/Arab News/November 25/2019
Protesters Defiant despite Attack by Hizbullah, AMAL Supporters/Agence France Presse/Naharnet/November 25/2019
The Latest Lebanese LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on November 25-26/2019
Protesters Defiant despite Attack by Hizbullah, AMAL Supporters
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/November 25/2019
Security forces cleared road blocks across Lebanon Monday, facing off against protesters who took to the streets from the early morning despite being attacked overnight by Hizbullah and AMAL Movement supporters. Demonstrators demanding a complete government overhaul have stayed mobilized since protests began on October 17, but a bitterly divided political class has yet to find a way out of the crisis. Frustrated by the stalemate, protesters had called for road blocks and a general strike on Monday, but an attack by Hizbullah and AMAL supporters on Sunday night weakened the turnout.
Political parties “are trying to instill fear in us as a people, so we don’t progress and stay at home,” said Dany Ayyash, 21, who was blocking a key road in Beirut’s Hamra district early Monday. “This is what happened today. There was supposed to be a general strike and yet the people are still at home sleeping.”
At around midnight on Sunday, Hizbullah and AMAL supporters attacked protesters at the Ring flyover near the capital’s main protest camp. Brandishing party flags, they hurled stones at peaceful demonstrators and taunted them with insults as riot police deployed to contain the violence. The attackers also ravaged a nearby encampment, tearing down tents and damaging storefronts in their most serious assault on the protesters so far. At least 10 demonstrators were wounded, civil defense said, without specifying the extent of their injuries.
Tense aftermath
On Monday morning, scattered stones, shattered glass and the mangled remains of tents littered the ground in the main protest camp. Around the square, car windows had been smashed with rocks. But the demonstrators said they would not cave in. “The attack gave us all — at least the ones here right now — a sense of determination,” Ayyash said. Nearby, security forces deployed along the road after shoving aside demonstrators who had been sitting on the ground. Salim Mourad, a 31-year-old protester, showed AFP his torn shirt collar, saying riot police dragged him by his shirt.
“We don’t want violence,” he said. Security forces also deployed across main arteries in north and east Lebanon Monday, removing metal barricades and dirt barricades raised by demonstrators earlier. The army said it arrested nine people north of Beirut at dawn after they tried to block roads using burning petrol and shattered glass. It also arrested four other “rioters”, releasing three shortly afterwards. The security forces have come under fresh criticism following Sunday’s attack, with protesters accusing them of being lax with Hizbullah and AMAL supporters, most of whom were allowed to walk away. “The thugs throw stones and insult security forces but they don’t confront them,” said Elie, 24, who was among the protesters attacked. “They don’t arrest them the way they arrest us.”Such criticism prompted caretaker Interior Minister Raya al-Hassan on Monday to respond by saying the army and police remain the only “guarantors of the country’s stability.”
Political paralysis
Political leaders have failed to select a new government nearly one month since Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s cabinet resigned, bowing to popular pressure. President Michel Aoun, whose powers include initiating parliamentary consultations to appoint a new premier, said he was open to a government that would include technocrats and representatives of the popular movement — both key demands of the protesters. But demonstrators say they reject any government that would also include representatives of established parties. The United States, France, the World Bank and credit rating agencies have all urged officials to accelerate cabinet formation, warning of a deteriorating economic and political crisis. In the latest diplomatic push, senior British foreign office official Richard Moore was in Lebanon on Monday. He would “underline the urgent need to form a government” during meetings with the president, prime minister, foreign minister, the speaker and the army chief, a British embassy statement said. “The people of Lebanon have been clear in their demand for improved governance, and they should be heard,” Moore, the director general for political affairs, was quoted as saying.
Lebanon investigates clashes between protesters and Hezbollah supporters
Sunniva Rose/The National/November 25/2019
Group and its Amal allies clashed with other demonstrators on Sunday before police joined in to break it up
Lebanon’s judicial and security authorities are investigating violent clashes between protesters blocking one of Beirut’s main motorways and supporters of two Shiite parties, Hezbollah and Amal, on Sunday.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported that a large number of soldiers and civilians were injured in the clashes, and cars and shops were destroyed. Witnesses said fighting broke out shortly after dozens of people gathered about 9pm to block a motorway known as The Ring, which has become a hot spot for protests. A group of young men arrived on motorbikes and began cursing Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, a woman said.
To try to defuse any tension, protesters sang the national anthem and popular slogans, but a fight broke out between Hezbollah supporters and other demonstrators. A video on social media showed protesters chanting “Hezbollah are terrorists”.Others who carried Hezbollah’s yellow flag responded with shouts of “God, Syria, Bashar and that’s all”, a reference to Syria’s President Bashar Al Assad, a Hezbollah ally, local newspaper The Daily Star reported.
The pro-Hezbollah group threw rocks at protesters before the army charged and fired tear gas to disperse the crowd in the early hours of the morning.
Although two similar incidents have occurred on the same Beirut road over the past few weeks, this is the first time that an official investigation has been announced. Other clashes occurred between those who support Hezbollah and those who do not, but the slogans on Sunday evening were noticeably more sectarian than before. The Ring links Christian eastern neighbourhoods of the capital with Shiite-dominated western parts. Protesters stayed on the motorway until dawn, but it had been cleared and traffic had returned to normal by mid-morning. Joseph Tawk, a columnist at Al Joumhouria newspaper, posted a video of himself on Twitter after he was beaten up on Sunday evening at The Ring. Smiling despite a bloody nose, he accused the thugs who attacked him of not representing the Shiite community.
“We are not thugs,” Tawk said. “We are Lebanese men and women. We are chanting slogans peacefully. We want a country. What do you want? Just sectarian leaders and Hezbollah?”The UN special co-ordinator for Lebanon, Jan Kubis, urged all Lebanese political factions to try to calm their supporters.
Nationwide anti-government protests began on October 17 after the government tried to introduce new taxes.
Protesters now say they reject the entire Lebanese political system, which they accuse of corruption, and are demanding elections.
On Sunday evening, Hezbollah and Amal supporters also ransacked about 40 tents that had been set up near Al Amin Mosque in central Beirut by civil activists and people affiliated to local universities. Watching men reassembling the tents the next morning, activist Riad Issa said he believed the violence on Sunday was fuelled by ignorance. “The people who used violence against us are like us,” Mr Issa said. “They are also oppressed by politicians.
“But maybe they have not arrived at the point where they can free themselves from sectarianism.”Asked why the Shiite community felt threatened by the protests, Mr Issa said he believed it was because they felt that Hezbollah was being asked to give up its weapons.
“They think it’s against them but it’s not true,” he said. “We want a technocratic government without politicians because they have failed us for the past 30 years. “We do not want Hezbollah, but at the same time we do not want the Free Patriotic Movement and the Future Movement.”
How filmmaker Elie Kamal used Lebanon’s abandoned railways to explore his country’s past
Kaleem Aftab/The National/November 25/2019
Growing up in east Beirut in the 1990s, Elie Kamal was encouraged by his parents to play on the train tracks. “For someone who hears ‘Go play on the railway’, who has a functioning railway in their country, that will feel so dangerous,” the director says.
His debut feature film, Beirut Terminus, which had its premiere in the Horizons of Arab Cinema section of the 41st Cairo International Film Festival this week, shows why loitering on the lines was not as shocking as it sounds. “In Lebanon, we don’t have a lot of parks or public spaces,” says the director, 34. But there are lots of disused railway stations and tracks.
“Because they still belong to the state, no one was allowed to build on them. They have been left alone, and over time have become overgrown and turned into fields. So they are safe places for children to play.”
As Kamal grew out of messing about on the tracks, he began looking into the history of the railway system in Lebanon and how this state of disrepair came to be. His essay film, Beirut Terminus, which received production support from the Enjaaz fund at Dubai Film Market, posits that the rise and fall of the railways is a metaphor for the country.
Kamal went to film school in Beirut and then in Belgium, where he honed his cinematography skills. He is the film’s director, cameraman and editor. For six years, he has shot the deserted train stations in an attempt to analyse, question and understand the history of his homeland, from its creation following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire to the protests of the present day. The images Kamal documents of abandoned locomotives and animals grazing where there once stood stations are beautiful – each frame could be hung in a gallery – and are the backbone of this artistic movie.
The pictures are given context by the director’s narration, in which he muses over his life and relationship with the divided country. It’s all contextualised by texts delivering a history of the nation, most notably of who invaded and when. The first railway in what is now Lebanon opened in 1895 during the Ottoman era, linking Beirut to Damascus. In later years, lines opened to Aleppo and Tripoli. It was the golden age of the railway.
‘Beirut Terminus’ has no dialogue, but is told through the director’s narration and with the use of repeated images. Courtesy of the artist
‘Beirut Terminus’ has no dialogue, but is told through the director’s narration and with the use of repeated images
In the Second World War, the Allies extended one line to Palestine. But it was quickly closed down after the 1948 war. The new Lebanese government took control of the railways, and it suffered from a lack of investment. The Civil War accelerated the network’s decline, and the railway was abandoned. The last route to remain open, carrying cement materials from Beirut to Chekka, closed in 1997. “The railway now looks like a skeleton, a body left to rot,” argues Kamal. “It’s a corpse. And if you don’t pump blood into the veins, eventually it dies.”
Today, the tracks that remain divide the city. “The line is not used to join people from different places together, but as a separation,” Kamal says. “You cannot cross from one region to another, and that was really problematic for someone like me. I opened my eyes, and then there was a civil war, and then for no reason that I could understand, I could not cross from one side to another because you are from a different religion.”
Kamal uses infra-red, which makes the trees in his shots look autumnal. Courtesy of the artist
A still from “Beirut Terminus’ by Elie Kamal
The tracks separated east Beirut where the Christians like him traditionally live, from west Beirut, where Muslims are the majority. Growing up, however, listening to radio plays with his mother, Kamal realised he had much in common with those on the western side of the city, more than he did with his close neighbours in the east. The stillness of the images in Beirut Express is a contrast to the movement usually associated with trains. The mood and aesthetic are in the same vein as Ron Fricke’s 1992 war documentary Baraka and his 2011 follow-up, Samsara. These films have no dialogue, but tell a story through the use of poetic narration and repetition of images. Another strong influence is the work of German auteur Werner Herzog, who developed the theory of “ecstatic truth”, a hypothesis claiming that a more insightful truth can be found by looking at emotional feelings and landscapes rather than factual evidence. Kamal’s background is in cinematography, which perhaps explains the emphasis on the visual and aural elements of Beirut Terminus. One of his stylish features is the use of infrared, which makes the trees look autumnal, and the world rose-tinted.
“I was thinking about how to show this land, but in a different way,” he says. “This land has a lot of bloodshed on it. During research, I discovered that forensic teams and the police sometimes use infrared at crime scenes to gather evidence. So when I shot in infrared, it seemed that I could transform all the foliage and greenery into red and that way all the blood that was re-shed could resurface.”
The film lands in Cairo as protests are happening in his home town. “On the streets of Beirut, people are crossing from one side to the other. All these ghosts and myths that we have about the other being the enemy doesn’t exist. It was only in the minds of the few, and this is really beautiful.”
Cairo International Film Festival runs until Friday, November 29 as a professional analyst of international security issues and Middle East political and business risk. Twitter: @KBAresearch
The call for a post-sectarian Middle East in Baghdad and Beirut
Zaid M. Belbagi//Arab News/November 25/2019
Water, electricity and access to economic opportunities are not sectarian trophies to award, but basic human rights. What events in Baghdad and Beirut have in common is that citizens, rather than succumbing to sectarian strife, are united in their aspiration for better lives and representative government.
In a region known for endemic corruption, authoritarian rulers and sectarian bloodletting, citizens uniting in their calls to bring an end to dysfunctional government, irrespective of confessional and tribal divides, is a welcome development.
Not dissimilar to Europe in the Middle Ages, the Arab world has been ravaged by a Thirty Years’ War fought along ethnic and ideological lines. Citizens have found themselves at what the Arab Human Development Report has described as “a historical crossroads — caught between oppression at home and violation from abroad, Arabs are increasingly excluded from determining their own future.”
Such instability has lent itself to crude government structures, where sectarian allegiances have determined access to services. This has perpetuated the failure of government in societies rapidly in need of meeting the demands of a growing youth population.
According to Benjamin Barthe, Middle East correspondent for Le Monde, “people are fed up of behind the door deals between former warlords turned communitarian chiefs, that prioritize their own political ambitions and personal financial interests over the well-being of the nation.”
In the Lebanese context, sectarian divisions are breaking down as members of different sects have joined hands in challenging established parties and the zuama (strongmen) who lead them. In Iraq, crumbling public services and acute economic problems have brought about extraordinary circumstances whereby Iraqi citizens have thrown caution to the wind and taken to the streets under live fire to demand better government.
In some respects this has been a return to the pre-2003 status quo, when Iraq had been under Baathist rule for decades, wherein the state superseded local groups and religious affiliations. After the US-led invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein, by destroying the state structure, sectarian militias and parties thrived as they acted as security providers for their communities.
If the protest movements succeed in driving real change, there is a possibility that they can contribute to building a truly non-sectarian and fair government in the Arab world.
Until Iraqi citizens came together this year, politics in Iraq had become wholly sectarian, with all parties operating along religious lines.
In both countries, government offices and representation in Parliament are distributed on the basis of sectarian quotas. Not only has this given confessional-based parties and militias a strong foothold, it has also resulted in the intervention of foreign powers in political life. In Lebanon, Hezbollah’s long dominance of Shiite politics is the primary example of this phenomenon, but Christian and Druze militia operate on the same principle. Their involvement has resulted in a complete hollowing out of the Lebanese state, empowering Iran at the expense of the Lebanese government.
In Iraq, given Iran’s bloody experience of the 1980-88 war, it has invested great resources into supporting successive pliant governments in Baghdad, more concerned with supporting Tehran’s interests than in meeting the needs of Iraqi citizens. Remarkably, however, in both Lebanon and Iraq, the protest movements have cut across sectarian lines, suggesting that they could be moving toward a post-sectarian era in their development through the erosion of the control of traditional confession-based leadership.
In Lebanon, the protest movement amazed many as Hezbollah, the longtime protector of the Shiite community, showed itself to be completely out of touch with events. Despite its impressive political organization and its substantial military muscle, for it to be challenged by the country’s Shiite community was telling of the extent of public discontent.
Similarly, Sunni Prime Minister Saad Hariri was forced to resign as his Sunni constituents lost confidence in his leadership and Maronite President Michel Aoun is under pressure from his Christian constituency to follow suit.
In Iraq, catastrophic service provision led to some of the largest protests against the Iraqi government and its Iranian leanings in Shiite-dominated cities and towns.
The spontaneous nature of recent events has taken the region by surprise. Though, without a doubt, they provide a telling barometer of public discontent with failing state structures governed along sectarian lines, they also raise questions in regards to the ability of the protesters to overhaul their respective systems.
A complete dismantling of the current, though comprised, systems of government could force both countries into a state of lawlessness and chaos. If the protest movements succeed, however, in driving real change, there is a possibility that they can contribute to building a truly non-sectarian and fair government in the Arab world.
*Zaid M. Belbagi is a political commentator, and an adviser to private clients between London and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Twitter: @Moulay_Zaid.
