Protesters Rally Outside Beirut Electric Company on Anniversary of Port Blast
Protesters marched in Beirut, Lebanon, on August 4, one year after a massive explosion at the city’s port left over 200 people dead and thousands injured, and caused widespread destruction of property and infrastructure.
Video filmed by Beirut resident Bassel Saleh shows demonstrators gathered in front of the Electricite du Liban electric company to protest the continued lack of power to area residences and businesses one year on from the blast, Saleh said.
A statement on the UN’s Lebanon website criticized the government, saying: “365 days later, the people of Lebanon are still waiting for the justice promised by the country’s decision makers … It is time for the country’s decision makers, who are entrusted with the safety, security and well-being of their people, to live up to their responsibilities.”
It called for an “effective, independent and transparent investigation that can bring justice for the victims and peace for their families.”
The statement was signed by the EU’s ambassador to Lebanon, Ralph Tarraf; the UN deputy special coordinator for Lebanon, Najat Rochdi; and the World Bank’s Middle East region director, Saroj Kumar Jha. Credit: @DrBasselSaleh via Storyful
