March 14 Busy Preparing for Sunday’s Rally, Received Threats Warning of Similar Fate to that of Samir Kassir

The March 14 forces have been preoccupied with the preparations for Sunday’s rally commemorating six years of the movement’s formation.

The event will include three podiums, one for political speeches, another for figures from civil society, and a third for various singers and performers.

March 14 General Secretariat coordinator Fares Soaid told the daily An Nahar in remarks published on Saturday that the preparations are “excellent in all regions.”

“The other camp has begun pressuring us with all its resources in order to intimidate the people, which will increase their motivation to take part in the demonstration,” he said.

The pressure included a media campaign under the slogan of “Israel also wants to eliminate the weapons” similar to the March 14 camp’s slogan of wanting to end the possession of arms outside the state’s authority, he continued.

The threats also included “suspicious calls to a number of media figures, who published articles on the recent Bristol meeting, threatening them with a similar fate to that of slain journalist Samir Kassir should they maintain their views in their articles,” Soaid revealed.

He added that the number of speakers at the rally has not been determined yet, but it will be more than four speakers, allowing for “historic and central figures in the March 14 camp” to take the stage “because this is an exceptional year for the movement.”

On Friday, the March 14 General Secretariat warned that some influential members of the March 8 camp are printing posters of deceased and living figures, as well as provocative slogans, for its supporters to lift them during Sunday's rally.

It said in a statement that such slogans and posters are aimed at "inciting hatred and strife."

It cautioned its supporters and all those participating in the March 13 rally against falling victim to this "suspicious activity."

"We urge citizens to exercise diligence and avoid personal insults while expressing their opinion," it added.

Furthermore, it said that it will hand over this case to the concerned security and legal sides in order for the appropriate action to be taken in this issue.