Civil Defense Volunteers Protest as Parliament Postpones Discussion on Their Work Conditions

Civil Defense volunteers held symbolic sit-ins in several Lebanese regions on Wednesday, to protest the parliament's postponing of the discussion on a proposal that improves their work conditions.

The postponement was decided after MPs discussed withdrawing the issue entirely from the parliament's agenda.

The volunteers protested at the Douris roundabout at the southern entrance of the city of Baalbek, with the participation of Civil Defense chief in the Bekaa Ali Shokr as well as contract workers.

The protesters blocked the international road in the Bekaa for half an hour, preventing cars from heading towards the city of Zahle.

Meanwhile, another group of Civil Defense volunteers blocked the road on the Cola bridge in Beirut.

Also in the capital, the Raouche road was blocked, while other protesters took to the streets of keserouan, blocking the eastern side of Jounieh-Jbeil highway for the same purpose.

Loyalty to Resistance bloc MP Nawwaf Moussawi explained that Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq called for withdrawing the discussion over this issue.

"But we, along with other MPs, rejected this,” he stated.

He elaborated: “Then Speaker Nabih Berri suggested keeping the proposal related to the Civil Defense General Directorate on the parliament's agenda, and gave Mashnouq a one-week deadline to add his comments on the draft.”

Moussawi assured Civil Defense volunteers and contract workers that the proposal to introduce improvements to their work conditions “will not be withdrawn from the parliament's agenda.”

The draft law suggests financing the Civil Defense's fund to solve the department's current financial crisis.

S.D.B.

Y.R.