Simultaneous protests took place Saturday as protesters of the Oct. 17 Revolution demonstrated for justice and accountability for the August 4 explosion.
“The president knew and he did nothing,” expressed protesters who marched toward Baabda Palace to hold the state’s top civil servants accountable for the disaster, including Lebanon’s president.
To oppose the demonstration against President Aoun, members of the Free Patriotic Movement gathered in their own protest.
“Other knew for years, President Michel Aoun only recently found out. Why don’t they [the protesters] go hold Nabih Berri accountable?” inquired several Aounist protesters to local media.
On that note, there were many remarks from the FPM’s protest against the speaker of the parliament and head of the Amal Movement, Nabih Berri, who is an ally of Aoun. One woman was even heard saying that Berri was the root of all corruption.
One FPM protester claimed that the revolutionary protesters wouldn’t dare go to Berri because if they did they’d get beaten up whereas, he said, President Aoun is not a thug, but that he is civil.
Ironically, it wasn’t long until a video of triggered Aoun supporters harassing a passerby, destroying his car, and hitting him through the car window began circulating the internet.
It seems the driver was heading towards the anti-government protest yet it is unclear if he was joining it or just passing.
It isn’t clear what exactly triggered this aggression and especially their cussing against the head of the Amal movement who, until now, is deemed a supporter and ally of President Aoun.