Protesters Opposed to Parliament Extension Attack MP Nadim Gemayel's Convoy
Phalange MP Nadim Gemayel's convoy was attacked with sticks, stones and tomatoes on Friday by angry protesters opposed to the extension of the parliament's term, the MP told Future television in a telephone call.
“While passing through the neighborhood of Ashrafiyeh, a crowd of angry people groundlessly attacked my convoy with sticks, stones and tomatoes,” he said, estimating the crowd to be civil society activists returning from the sit-in staged in Downtown Beirut protesting the extension of the parliament's term and demanding elections to be held.
Gemayel believed that the crowd attacked his car out of anger when they saw that it carried a parliament license plate, bringing down any notion that he could be targeted personally.
“All the convoy's cars were smashed,” he added and “one of my companions of the Internal Security Forces was injured in the head”.
They however managed to push back the attackers and soon the ISF intervened and cordoned them off.
For his part Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel denounced on Saturday the “unfortunate incident, which indicates a prevailing chaos in the country,” he said stressing the need to take the necessary measures.
A Civil Campaign for Electoral Reform staged a sit-in at Beirut's Riad al-Solh Square as the parliament voted in the end of May to extend its own mandate for 17 months after the rival political parties failed to reach an agreement over a new electoral law.
Around 100 MPs from all blocs, except the Change and Reform bloc, voted to extend parliament's term until November 20, 2014.
Source: Agence France Presse
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