Jumblat: Some Civil Society Activists have Turned into Rioters
Progressive Socialist party chief Walid Jumblat stated on Saturday that although he consents the requests of the civil society activists, but it is unacceptable to drag the country to chaos.
“We have expressed our support for the demands and slogans raised by the civil society activists. We even condemned ourselves. But that does not mean that we will accept to stand idle and watch the country being dragged to chaos and systematic destruction of its economy, touristic and commercial institutions,” said Jumblat to the PSP-affiliated al-Anbaa website.
“Some of the civil society groups have become riotous aiming to only hamper solutions, starting with the trash crisis issue, which is unacceptable,” he added.
Civil society activists gathered in downtown Beirut on Thursday protesting the government's dysfunction on an almost four months trash management crisis.
The protests spiraled after the campaigners tried to remove the barricades near An Nahar building that were placed by the security forces to keep the protesters away from the parliament and government offices.
Some protesters tried to break the security cordons, prompting authorities to use water cannons to disperse them. Protesters lobbed rocks and water bottles at the security forces.
The clashes caused heavy damages to the nearby DT restaurant and the entrance of Hotel Le Gray in addition to damages to public property, said the Internal Security Forces.
The protests against Lebanon's ruling elite came as a result of the garbage crisis that activists warn has become a menace to public health.
The crisis began in July when the closure of the Naameh landfill, Lebanon's largest, caused rubbish to pile up on Beirut's roadsides, in parking lots and river beds.
over 9 years
Peaceful protests are being mocked and attacked by the government. You are concerned about "rioters" when in Syria they turned violent armed rebels and you cheered them... Mr Jumblatt, you are the main part of the problem that has raped the Lebanese since 1992.
Khalil Gebran: "Pity the nation that welcomes its new ruler with trumpeting,
and farewells him with hooting,
only to welcome another with trumpeting again...
Pity the nation divided into fragments,
each fragment deeming itself a nation.”
It's like he was truly a prophet writing this for you and most of the other "leaders"!
over 9 years
"But that does not mean that we will accept to stand idle and watch the country being dragged to chaos and systematic destruction of its economy, touristic and commercial institutions". That is exactly what the protesters say. Wally, you and others on BOTH sides are the corruption the state needs to quit accepting, your economic plans profit only those in power, your tourism is dead and your streets smell like rotting whores. This is a joke to blame citizens for your ineffective and obstruction based government that fights over every scrap dropped on the floor like a bunch of dogs.
over 9 years
every party is scared of these protests as it comes from ordinary people not affiliated to anyone thus hard to manipulate.... some populists say they side with them (as if we are to believe them) just to appear nice and understanding while they are just afraid!
their only weapon is to discredit them while they stand idle and using lebanese to fill their pockets... they are soooo afraid to lose their power
over 9 years
i agree
Jumbo: you are part of the paralysis of the country.