On Saturday, July 4th, protesters gathered outside the American Embassy in Awkar, calling for the implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1559.
“Demonstrators from the “Donald Trump’s Friends in Lebanon” movement are staging a sit-in to demand the application of Resolution 1559, which states that the army imposes its authority on the Lebanese territory,” reported MTV News.
Seeking support from the Americans, the protesters stood for the disarmament of all militias outside of the Lebanese army. They demanded that weapons in Lebanon should be with the Lebanese army alone.
The demonstrators raised both the Lebanese and American flags in the sit-in, which fell on the anniversary of U.S. Independence Day.
In response, the U.S. Embassy tweeted, “Thank you to the group of Lebanese that made our Independence Day special by gathering to express appreciation to the U.S. for its ongoing partnership and support for Lebanon’s security, humanitarian, and development challenges.”
Proud of our embassy in #Beirut & its courageous ambassador, representing the American people & more than a million American-Lebanese to #Lebanon. Thanking the courageous men & women who held Lebanese and American flags today in Awkar calling for freedom and wishing a Happy 4th!
— Walid Phares (@WalidPhares) July 4, 2020
The US Embassy’s tweet was met with numerous responses from Lebanese people expressing the same stance as the protest and wishing it a happy 4th of July.
Happy 4th of July, USA. Thank you for supporting Lebanon and the Lebanese army. We are very grateful!
— Ghada-talks (@Ghada05681030) July 4, 2020
Similar sentiments for the control of weapons and Lebanon’s military sovereignty under one army, the Lebanese one, have been shared earlier by President of the Kataeb Party MP Samy Gemayel.
He boycotted the President’s national meeting last month and urged that the government tackle the real problems, such as the issues of “sovereignty, controlling weapons, putting every gun at the disposal of the army, [and] rejecting any military system outside the framework of the state.”
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