Choucair: Civil Society Calls Righteous but Vandalizing Central Beirut is Rejected
Head of the Beirut Chambers of Commerce Mohammed Choucair stressed on Thursday that the demands of the civil society campaigners are righteous but denounced the spiraling chaos in downtown Beirut that he sees as an attempt to close it down.
“We support activists who are open to logical solutions. Their demands are righteous but we strongly denounce the systematic attempts to vandalize downtown of Beirut,” said Choucair in a press conference titled To Save the Heart of Beirut.
“There are systematic attempts to close down what is left of the institutions there,” he emphasized.
Choucair appealed to the lawmakers of Beirut for quick action and to “take deterrent measures to stop the horrible deteriorating conditions.”
For his part, the spokesman of the company of Solidere Nasser al-Shammaa said: “Downtown Beirut had a prominent role over the years in the revival of tourism in Lebanon. Institutions in central Beirut contribute significantly to the revitalization of the economic cycle and tourism and thus support the Lebanese economy.”
President of the Beirut Traders Association Nicholas Chammas noted: “The Souks are compelled to close down because of the recurrent crises.
“The center of the capital suffers from three overlapping economic crises that include a bad economic situation, tight security measures and the absence of Arab tourists.”
He concluded by saying: “We respect the mobility of the civil society. Their demands are ours, but things are deviating out of track.”
Downtown Beirut has been an action scene lately for demonstrations raging over a waste-management crisis that erupted in July.
The demos kicked off when the largest landfill that receives the trash of Beirut and Mount Lebanon closed, leaving the country drowning in garbage and the foul smell of rotting trash filling nostrils and lungs.
Protests angered over the government's dysfunction are turning into Lebanon's largest movement in years, targeting an entire political class.
However, campaigners who chose the location of their demos in the capital's downtown, infamous for its tourist attraction but losing the luster with recurrent crises, took their anger on the public property smashing traffic lights, setting out fires and spray painting walls.
D.A.
G.K.
over 9 years
"unsustainable" , what do you mean by unsustainable ? do you remember how the downtown was , before you and your cronies camped there for a year and a half ? The whole of downtown was target for AOUNI's and HEZBO's in degrading and bleeding it since Harriri died .
The reason of all our misfortunes now are these 2
over 9 years
Mr. Choucair, I also reject your myopia of the issue itself. Let's call a spade by its name. The Youth and Civil Societies are protesting peacefully and civilizedly, people like you have nothing one them. You do know who is infiltrating their ranks to derail their very aim. Those sending the infiltrators are the usual thug politicians, one of them is Nabih Berri and Hezbollah to some extent. There is ample proof of both Amal and Hezbollah involvement in the vandalism and destruction of DT Beirut, by the way, what do you call the attacks directly aimed at the Hariri tomb? Then who is ordering the police, Mr. Mashnouq or Nabih Berri? Mr. Choucair, you cut the BS and speak in frank language because the tide of change will eventually sweep people like you too if you wish to swallow your tongue every you wish to make a statement as this.
over 9 years
Ahemd Clockwise. The Shiites are wrongly represented in your post, those who camped were the M8 side who were in majority Hezbollah and Amal partisans. They stayed there for months on end, making DT Beirut a war zone. Today those causing the destruction and vandalism are thugs directly sent and directed by both Amal and Hezbollah. I recent past I refrained at mentioning Hezbollah till proof was made available, now it's done. So please ya Ahmad, do a recheck of your facts, no one is screwing up DT, or Lebanon more than M8 led by Hezbollah, but you should expect changes to start happening and by all means we all hope that it will not be violent, but if, La 7awlah wala qouwwati we have no options, then changes will happen all the same, peacefully, or violently, no one can keep the people muzzled forever. At least you make the effort at being truthful, it's your duty as a citizen of this country.
over 9 years
Yaa Southern, what I am saying is the truth, it's just that it sits badly with you, sorry, can't do much for you over this, and rest assured, my credibility isn't dependent on you either, with all my respects to you Khayeh.
over 9 years
Down Town and Beirut are for ALL Lebanese while Dahye, Rabieh or Ain el Tine are not the center point of Lebanese.
Also, a private company (Solidere) is not supposed to make or lose money in Down Town.. this is the place of the public, so anyone demonstrating should not think "am I going to make Solidere lose money"- Down Town must be returned to the Lebanese State an souks should return what they were before; a meeting point between all social classes, religions and people
over 9 years
Knesset, why don't you stop trolling. You are the same sick M8 troller who keeps popping up every time something is written against your mercenary militia Hezbollah. The one lying is you, because your habit of interjecting is so common that you are a known quantity and quality. Your Hezbollah turned DT Beirut not only into a war zone, but also into a huge toilet if you didn't know that yet, the whole place stank like one big waste dump, why not ask DT managers for their testimonies? You said war, you ya habileh, can you sustain one now? If you can, then please get started, you're most welcome, other than your big mouth-ism, you offer nothing good for this country.
over 9 years
And the sleeping Mod team of Naharnet know well who you are ya Knesset. They know you by your various IPs hence and so forth, by the way you write and punctuate, but the Naharnet team is also known to be a sleeper team. here we are with your low caliber of people posting trolling and derogating the very intelligence of free expression, but they leave you around, just like did the waste caused by the occupation of DT by your side, it smelled bad then, it still smells bad now, Naharnet knows about the smell, but its forum is now becoming as bad, a very poorly managed one too.
over 9 years
banikiller. fi.pghobleme jirban.pajama, moush ma3rouf ousba3 min feyet bi deynet min, but you are the same khasseh ma2soumeh, walaw, shi maarouf min zamen. Ahamma shi, jradine.
over 9 years
Tourism is anti-resistance culture.
over 9 years
You expect people that are so willing to bring change to this country by going on hunger strikes and trying to reason with those in power now to break city lights and try to worsen this country even more?
Get your facts straight. We, the young, wish to get rid of all the old pigs that are clinging to power.
And you beat us then say that we are violent..
Help us instead of attacking our cause! Do it for your children if you do not have the wisdom or courage to do it for yourselves.
-a Lebanese
over 9 years
thug police are the ones vandalizing you lowlife
Vandalism in a Marxist right of passage.