Beirut’s Wall of Shame removed as rebels go from protests to parliament

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Lebanon’s Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi said Monday “this is Beirut’s voice and the voice of the Lebanese” as a team of engineers removed the so called Wall of Shame surrounding Parliament’s building in Nejmeh Square.

Speaker Nabih Berri , whose security forces built the barricade ordered on Monday its removal as demanded by Mawlawi , as the rebels go from protests to being newly elected MPs

Mawlawi said that Beirut’s Central District is open to everyone, affirming that “Beirut will come back to life.”

“This is a victory for Oct. 17,” an activist said as he celebrated the event. “Now the rebels are MPS in the Parliament.”

People gathered to watch the removal of the wall of shame that stood for more than three years between the people and the Parliament. 

“This is a victory for Oct. 17,” an activist said as he celebrated the event. “Now the rebels are MPS in the Parliament.”

The so called “Wall of Shame” was erected by Speaker Berri’s security forces to prevent the Lebanese protestors from entering Parliament.

The Oct. 17 protesters won at least 13 seats in the may 15 election

Meet one of the newly elected MPs

Halime El Kaakour, a newly elected Lebanese MP who has a PhD in public international law and teaches at the Lebanese University, speaks . She is shown during an interview with Reuters in Mechref, Lebanon May 18, 2022. “You don’t want us to enter parliament as normal citizens? You blocked us and put up walls? Well, now we’re entering as MPs,”  She added : “People can’t believe it… We are planting hope, and God willing, we will harvest change,” said Kaakour, 46, and the only Sunni Muslim woman in parliament. was quoted as saying by Reuters REUTERS/Emilie MadiREUTERS

Lebanon’s newly elected parliament began its mandate Sunday, and one of its first acts is to elect a speaker and deputy speaker.

The speaker position is held by a Shiite Muslim, and Hezbollah ally Nabih Berri has headed the parliament since 1992. Observers say reformist lawmakers and others in the new legislature see Berri as part of the long-standing problem related to corruption and Iran-backed Hezbollah influence.

Ya Libnan/ News Agencies

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