Amal, Hezbollah supporters roam the streets of Beirut on motorcycles waving party flags

Supporters of the Iranian backed Hezbollah militant group and its ally the AMAL Movement roamed some of Beirut’s streets on motorcycles on Monday evening, carrying flags of the two parties and shouting insults against what they called “the revolution.”

The National News Agency said the motorbikes passed through the Ras al-Nabaa, Verdun and Tariq al-Jedideh and Ramlet el Baida areas

Video footage meanwhile showed them passing outside Speaker Nabih Berri’s headquarters in Ain el-Tineh while shouting slogans in support of the Speaker.

Sources of Amal and Hezbollah leadership told Lebanon Files that there was no official decision by the parties for the protest, calling the move “spontaneous and we respect their freedom of expression and demonstration which is aimed at implementation of the reforms as agreed during the cabinet meeting today ”

Media reports said the army prevented the convoy from entering the protests area in downtown Beirut and that the motorcycles “returned to Beirut’s southern suburbs” after roaming the capital’s streets.

Separately, Prime Minister Saad Hariri called Army Commander General Joseph Aoun and “discussed with him the security developments,” the Mustaqbal Web news portal, which is affiliated with Hariri’s al-Mustaqbal Movement, reported.

“During the phone call, he (Hariri) stressed the need to protect the protesters and not to allow harm against any of them, while emphasizing the need to reopen roads to facilitate citizens’ freedom of movement in all regions” as well as the transfer of essential goods and medical crews.

For the first time Hezbollah and its chief Hassan Nasrallah are being openly criticised.

“All of them means all of them”
“All of them means all of them, Nasrallah is one of them!” This last slogan broke out after the (once) popular Hezbollah leader spoke on October 19. It is an extremely positive sign that the masses are moving beyond the sectarian political parties. This feeling of unity within the crowd was palpable from the first night. In a country usually fractured along deeply rooted sectarian lines, with people generally very loyal to their own political parties, the notable absence of political party flags from the mass protests  is significant. The Lebanese people are clearly starting to blame the entire system and all the politicians who have led their country into crisis, and are fighting together on a class basis.