On December 14, Beirut witnessed a violent clash between protesters and security forces. The Red Cross and Civil Defense in the area reported so far a total of 130 injuries. The protesters who wanted to enter Nijmeh Square to rally in front of the parliament building were surprised by Security forces responding with tear gas and violence.
This is not the first extensive force used by some Lebanese security forces or riot police but it sure was the worst. Accordingly, Lawyer Karim Majbour decided to file a complaint with the United Nations Human Rights Council against the Lebanese state.
The lawsuit also includes Interior Minister Raya Al-Hassan, head of the riot squad in the Internal Security Forces, and political party groups that participated with the security forces and the Parliament’s police.
In the complaint report, Attorney Majbour explained in detail the outbreak of the revolution. He stated that one million and eight hundred thousand Lebanese revolted against the political class that governs and controls the entire political joints.
He elaborated that these politicians came to power during the Civil War, strove to steal Lebanon’s capabilities and spread corruption and, apart from their fictitious businessmen and companies, they have infected the judicial and supervisory authorities.
Attorney Majbour refuted the violent attacks that happened to the protester since the beginning of the Lebanese Revolution.
In his words, “On December 14, 2019, at five o’clock in the afternoon, a political party group advanced towards Riad al-Solh Square in the commercial center of the city of Beirut, trying to advance towards the demonstrators to beat them with stones and stealing their shops in this area, as usual by the corrupt of this authority.”
He went on explaining that “the response of the security forces was timid, even non-existent since they did not dare and did not stop, since the beginning of the demonstrations and the start of the revolution, to arrest any of these criminal individuals because the political decision is stronger than them.”
“The security in Lebanon is controlled by the ruling authority and its men,” he stated. Relaying the clashes that occurred at 9:00 PM that night, he said that the protesting group tried to enter Najma Square in front of the House of Representatives to demonstrate peacefully but they were brutally confronted by the police of the House of Representatives.
He indicated that these parliamentary police officers “wore the clothing of the security forces but were not affiliated with them,” explaining that the parliamentary police “was established after the civil war that brought the warlords to that site of decision.”
In that regard, it has been trending on social media photos of parliamentary police officers spotting on the discrepancy in their uniforms, and captioning: “Only to clarify and spread awareness among the people.”
And despite all that and what has happened, the Lebanese protesters have rushed to help Lebanese army officers impacted by the teargassing bombs thrown by the parliamentary police:
With the incitement of violence attempting to change the course of the peaceful revolution, it has been noticeable these days that the Lebanese people are seeking now to deal with the people in power with entities that are more powerful than them. There are many requests being sent out to rid Lebanon of power hogging individuals.
Two weeks ago, the Lebanese Swiss Association (LSA) called on the United Nations to intervene with a tribunal for the corrupt and those responsible for the human and financial crimes practiced against the Lebanese people.
The LSA has also proceeded a few days ago with a national petition addressed to the International Criminal Tribunal. In addition, two letters from the protesters were dispatched to French President Macron, and now the complaint of Attorney Majbour before the United Nations Human Rights Council.
@MTVLebanonNews @AlHadath @alhurranews @ALJADEEDNEWS #الشعب_القوي #لبنان__ينتفض #لبنان_يثور https://t.co/arfO00RPU7
— Sabine Chahine (@sabinechahine7) December 15, 2019