On day 67, Martyr’s Square packed and a fight in Aley
- Protesters from Tripoli, Bekaa, Beirut, and other regions demonstrated in Martyr’s Square against the Prime Minister designate Hassan Diab.
- The demonstrations included holiday celebrations, but also, the 40th day memorial of martyr Alaa Abou Fakhr’s murder.
- In Aley, a fight broke out when supporters of the Progressive Socialist Party stormed the revolution tents with party flags. 4 people got injured and were moved to the hospital as protesters released a statement denouncing all party symbols within the revolution tent. Protests also took place in Tyre, Baalbeck, Tripoli and other regions.
Army checkpoint stops Tripoli protesters heading to Beirut
- A clash occurred at the Madfoun checkpoint near Batroun, as the army stopped 8 buses transporting Tripoli protesters to Beirut, for inspection. It then arrested several passengers. Arguments ensued as the buses parked on the side of the highway for hours until the army released all arrested individuals, and protesters could continue to Martyr’s Square.
- The army released a statement saying that protesters resisted routine inspections, and it announced that it confiscated gas masks, sticks, and surgical masks from some protesters. Passengers, on the other hand, said it wasn’t the inspection that caused the tensions but the delays. They said the army was aggressive, and its members tried to purposefully stall and to intimidate them from joining protests in Beirut.
Hundreds of lawyers inspect Lebanese prisons
- Around 700 lawyers inspected a total of 25 prisons across Lebanon on Sunday, an initiative launched by the Bar Associations of Beirut and Tripoli. Accompanied by the presidents of both associations, Melhem Khalaf and Mohammad al—Mrad. After Visiting Roumieh prison, lawyers reported miserable conditions, stating overpopulation, dirty bathrooms, high cost of food and basic needs for prisoners, as well as lack of hot water.
- According to NNA, 6500 prisoners are currently detained in Lebanon, and around 60% of them await their trial. Some have been waiting for almost four years, without a conviction, for their cases to be heard in court, according to the lawyers who conducted the visits.
Hassan Diab meets the revolution’s “representatives”
- PM designate Hassan Diab met with so—called representatives of the revolution, as protesters demonstrated under his house, denouncing people who claimed to speak on their behalf.
- Visitors who met With Hassan Diab included journalist Mohammad Noun and a man called Nabil Hajjar, according to MTV. They claimed to represent only themselves. A Facebook post by Noun that included pictures of himself with Speaker Nabih Berri, as well as praise, circulated over social media.
REPOSTED FROM @Megaphonenews