Hariri: Hamra Violence Targets Beirut, Manipulates Civil Peace
Caretaker PM Saad Hariri denounced on Tuesday the pitched street battles in Beirut’s key Hamra street saying they aim at undermining the role of the capital being an economic center for the whole Lebanese.
“The attack on Hamra Street is unacceptable under any slogan, although i don't want to blame the people’s revolution and their anger towards banks, but it was a disgrace for any party or person justifying and covering it,” Hariri said in a statement released by his media office.
He said his statement “is not intended to defend the banking system or the governor of the central bank Riad Salameh, who is subject to a campaign of uprooting with well-known goals that I don’t want to dwell on here, knowing the extent of suffering the citizens encounter at the doors of banks nowadays.”
Hamra attacks “quite frankly target Beirut and its role as capital and economic center concerned with the livelihood of all Lebanese,” Hariri said, adding “I will not accept to be a false witness on suspicious missions that could take the whole country to ruin shall the schemes be to smash the souks and neighborhoods of Beirut similar to what happened in Hamra yesterday and in downtown Beirut before that.”
“We are in the caretaker government, I will not under any circumstance head a government to cover acts that are rejected and condemned by all standards,” stressed Hariri as he urged the Lebanese army to deter attempts to manipulate civil peace.
He called for “judicial action in pursuit of those who tamper with the safety of the capital, similarly asked “the army to assume responsibilities in deterring people manipulating civil peace.”
Lebanese security forces fired volleys of tear gas at protesters who responded with rocks and fireworks outside the country's central bank in Hamra street in pitched street battles that lasted for hours late Tuesday.
Using metal bars and sticks protesters smashed windows of commercial banks and shops and foreign exchange bureaus nearby.
The clashes ended a day of rallies that followed a lull in the three-months-long protests.
Local TV stations carried the pitched street battles live, including late night arrests of at least half a dozen protesters.
