Thousands of Protestants rocked Lebanon’s parliamentary area on Sunday, demanding the government’s fall in the wake of the catastrophic explosion that destroyed parts of Beirut last week.
The violent rally took place around sunset, when an international donor conference launched to fund the enormous cost of recovery decided that the country would not be abandoned.
Police in riot gear stormed a rally on Friday, removing hundreds of protesters by truck. Police in riot gear stormed a rally on Friday, removing hundreds of protesters by truck. They defended their position with tear gas, while hundreds of men praised pun from the blast over wrought iron walls. The crowds were determined to break into the connection and attack the legislature, whose members were universally blamed for the widespread dysfunction that led to the disaster.
On Sunday, Lebanon’s Information Minister Manal Abdel Samad halted more than 150 people killed and swathes of the capital, leaving a crater 43 meters (141ft) deep in the government’s first firing since the port explosion. .
“Following the enormous disaster in Beirut, I announce my resignation from the government,” she said in a statement, urging the Lebanese public to apologize.
Later dismissed the Minister of Environment. A statement from Damianos Kattar said he had left in solidarity with the victims and the government had lost a number of opportunities for reform.
Three more MPs also resigned on Sunday, the ends of which were besieged just before sunset. Although the large crowds seen on Saturday night in Central Beirut were thin, those who arrived on Sunday appeared determined to storm the area, setting the scene for major clashes with security forces.
At least 43 Second Chamber members would have to resign for the government to fall. So far, nine have done so, and there are indications that many more will follow in the coming week, causing the already vulnerable government to lose power over power.
Ammonium nitrate is a general industrial chemical that is mainly used for fertilizers because it is a good source of nitrogen for plants. It is also one of the main components in mining explosives.
It is not explosive on its own, but it is an oxidizer, attracts oxygen to a fire – and therefore makes it much more intense. However, it ignites only under the right conditions, and these are difficult to achieve.
While ammonium nitrate can actually emit a fire when the chemical itself is contaminated, for example with oil, it becomes highly explosive.
Helen Sullivan en Tom Phillips
Meanwhile, at the nearby port, where about 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate detonated in the devastating explosion, search and rescue teams only gave up hope of finding survivors. A French team had tried to reach an underground control room after indications that up to seven men were at the site when the explosion occurred, and may have survived. The head of the French team said five bodies had now been recovered.
“We have been working non-stop for 48 hours since Thursday morning to reach this control room. Unfortunately, we did not find any survivors, “said Col Vincent Tissier.
A Lebanese military officer coordinating rescue efforts on the side of the docks said: ‘After three days of search and rescue operations, we can say that we are ready for the first phase, which includes the possibility of finding survivors. used to be. We can say we hope so. “
At least 21 people remain missing, and 159 are listed as killed in what is widely considered one of the worst industrial accidents in history. At least 6,000 people were injured.
As recovery efforts continued, Beirut’s population began to reflect on what the toll might have been if it were not for the coronavirus lockon, which meant most bars and cafes were closed in the normally densely populated Gemmayze district, the neighbors in the neighborhood. “Can you imagine what it could have been like on a normal night, or even two hours earlier when workers were still at the port?” asked Ali Houssein, an administrator from southern Lebanon. “I would think we would talk thousands of dead.”
However, the damage to Beirut in the east and center was devastating, and an online donor conference promised to fund urgent humanitarian needs.
French President Emmanuel Macron said: “We must all work together to ensure that neither violence nor chaos prevails. It is the future of Lebanon that is on the horizon. We need to act quickly, and this help should go directly to the people who need it on the ground. “
A statement from the conference, released late Sunday, said: “In addition to providing assistance in times of need, partners are ready to support Lebanon’s economic and financial recovery, which, as part of a stabilization strategy, requires Lebanese authorities to fully committed to temporary measures and reforms expected by the Lebanese people. “
“In these horrific times, Lebanon is not alone,” the statement said. “Assistance for an impartial, credible and independent demand following the August 4 explosion is immediately needed and available, at the request of Lebanon.” Lebanese President Michel Aoun had earlier called for an international probe to be described as an attempt to “stop the investigation”.
The terms of an investigation and who should carry it out are at the center of political rancor almost a week after the explosion, with much of the country agreeing that any local probe would be politicized and leaders demanding a foreign probe would be an incentive for sovereignty.
As recovery efforts continued in devastated parts of the capital, the Norwegian Refugee Council said humanitarian funding was needed immediately. “The one thing we must not forget in this response is that many Lebanese and refugees were already on their knees before the explosion,” said Carlo Gherardi, Lebanon’s country director for the NRC. ‘They need us the most and they need us right now. International donors must honor their promises, and distribute money immediately – there is no time to waste.
Social and economic action for Lebanon, a US organization that helps coordinate funds, encourages donors and individuals to channel donations through NGO structures.
“The Lebanese government has proven to be incompetent, untrustworthy and corrupt,” said George Bitar, the group’s president. He said NGOs were a more efficient and direct way to get funds to Lebanon, especially in the midst of a financial crisis that has restricted people’s access to deposits.
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