Many Lebanese accuse the leaders, deemed corrupt and incompetent, of being responsible for the tragedy. Ph. DR
Firas Hamdan has a thick scar on his heart. Zeina’s back is riddled with bullet marks. Both survived the explosion in Beirut, but they were not spared from a violent crackdown on protests days later. “Some have lost their sight and others have been targeted by lead bullets, like me, I received one in the heart and it is still lodged inside”, laments Firas, a 33-year-old lawyer. . In the days following the explosion at the Beirut port on August 4, security forces and plainclothes fired tear gas, rubber bullets and lead shot bullets at angry protesters, according to the report. NGOs and demonstrators. A member of the protest committee within the Beirut Bar Association, Firas Hamdan used to document violations against protesters. But he never thought he would land in intensive care himself. Many Lebanese accuse the leaders, deemed corrupt and incompetent, of being responsible for the tragedy. And the repression that fell on the demonstrators only amplified anger towards the authorities. Last week, a group of medics called “the white shirts” confirmed at a press conference that at least 60 people were seriously injured during the protests by direct fire from rubber bullets and lead shot. , sometimes aiming at the eyes, chest or face. A member of the group, Dr Selim Nasser, expressed particular concern about the novel use of lead shot bullets. They “caused serious injuries by tearing and penetrating the skin,” he told AFP. Among the injured, about 20 suffered eye injuries. Eight “required surgery and three others lost an eye,” adds ophthalmologist Nada Jabbour, supporting images. The security forces and the army denied having fired live ammunition at the demonstrators.
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