Jumblat Picks at 'Placid' Mashnouq

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat criticized on Thursday Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq for being “unruffled” by the road accidents and the latest road-blocking strike that paralyzed traffic in various Lebanese regions and left drivers stranded in vehicles for hours.

“The Interior Minister is unruffled while running the safety of roads, road accidents and the truck owners strike. As if he lives in the arctic,” said Jumblat in a sarcastic tweet on Thursday.

On Wednesday and via his Twitter page, Mashnouq urged truck owners to reopen roads they had blocked during the day protesting his decision to shut down sand mining and stone crushing sites.

Truckers blocked several main roads around the country bringing traffic to a standstill in several areas and stranding citizens in their cars for hours.

A clash has even erupted on the road-blocking protest in Khalde between truckers and citizens that escalated into gunfire and the smashing of a car's windows.

Citizens were up in arms as they demanded the State to find a solution for a road-blocking plague that pushes campaigners to close the streets when demands are at hand.

Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq later called for an emergency meeting for the Central Security Council at the Interior Ministry.

He vowed that all necessary measures will be taken to prevent future road closures.