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.
Source: Naharnet
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