Injuries as ISF Forcibly Clears 'You Stink' Activists who Occupied Environment Ministry
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Riot police forcibly removed protesters who had occupied part of the environment ministry in central Beirut on Tuesday following a several-hour standoff, which left several activists wounded.
Police gradually moved the several dozen protesters from the "You Stink" campaign down from the eighth floor of the building in downtown Beirut.
The Lebanese Red Cross said around 15 protesters were offered first aid on the spot while the activists Lucien Bourjeily and Nehmat Badreddine were rushed to hospital.
But after scuffles erupted outside the ministry later in the evening, the Red Cross said seven protesters were rushed to hospitals while 60 were given medical care on the ground.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq said security forces did not use force against the protesters, promising to penalize anyone who beat up activists “if the reports turn out to be true.”
He later dispatched “his security team and a number of officers to the Environment Ministry to oversee the evacuation of the rest of protesters from the building and to ensure that they will not be assaulted under any circumstances,” state-run National News Agency reported.
However, the remaining 15 protesters said later in the evening that they were beaten up and forcibly ejected from the building.
They had refused to leave, insisting police would have to handcuff and remove them by force.
State-run National News Agency meanwhile said Environment Minister Mohammed al-Mashnouq left the ministry building late on Tuesday. Media reports said he left through a back entrance.
Several scuffles erupted outside the ministry building between security forces and protesters who arrived to express solidarity with the You Stink activists.
Some TV reporters and journalists said security forces had ordered them to leave the building before forcibly ejecting some of them.
The activists said they stormed the ministry building to push for the resignation of Environment Minister Mohammed al-Mashnouq over his failure to resolve the country's waste crisis.
“We will stay here until our demands are met,” Imad Bazzi, one of the organizers of anti-government protests held by “You Stink,” said.
Another protester said: “This is our ministry. We will protect it. We don't need the presence of security forces," which deployed heavily at the building's entrance and blocked it.
In their surprise action, the activists chanted “Mashnouq out” and urged the ministry employees and Lebanese citizens to join them.
In a video footage, they were seen sitting cross-legged on the floor, clapping hands and shouting slogans against the minister.
But al-Mashnouq refused to resign, telling TV stations: “I am carrying out my duties.”
He said he was at his office on the building's 8th floor and urged security forces to assume their responsibilities.
But the activists urged the minister to come out of his office and address the protesters, saying they refused to send a representative to negotiate with al-Mashnouq.
Informed sources later said that Prime Minister Tammam Salam would not accept Mashnouq's resignation should he take such a step.
They added that the minister is “being wrongfully held responsible for a crisis which dates back to years and which the political powers have shied away from resolving.”
Some protesters had suffered from fainting spells due to the poor ventilation at the building after the windows were shut and air-conditioning was turned off.
Meanwhile, al-Mustaqbal bloc warned that “storming the Environment Ministry serves the interests of those seeking chaos in Lebanon,” rejecting what it called “pressure for the resignation of any minister or official in this coup-like manner.”
Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat who had previously voiced his support for the activists' demands said via Twitter: “The occupation of the environment minister's office is not a solution to the waste crisis or any other problem.”
Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun also expressed his support for the youth's demands, but advised them instead to focus their attention towards the adoption of a new electoral law, staging of parliamentary elections, and election of a new president.
During its last protest in downtown Beirut on Saturday, “You Stink” issued a 72-hour ultimatum for the authorities to meet their demands, including the resignation of the environment minister, holding Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq accountable for police violence in previous demonstrations, and releasing funds for municipalities to begin their own garbage management programs.
In longer term goals, the activist group called for new parliamentary elections and the election of a president to fill a post that has been vacant since May last year due to political squabbling.
The waste crisis erupted after the closure of the Naameh landfill that lies south of Beirut on July 17.
G.K./Y.R.
01 September 2015, 14:01
411
as mr ibrahim al amine wrote in his excellent editorial this movement is mostly lead by shi3at al safarat in a plot to elect a president other that general michel aoun, but we're on to you.
01 September 2015, 14:25
103
Romantic silliness of youth will lead nowhere just like the occupy protests in the west, lots of noise that amounted to nothing in the end.
01 September 2015, 15:19
20
No thanks I just had a burger, but by all means finish eating your lunch.
01 September 2015, 14:39
136
Machnouq is the scapegoat.
As if he was the man responsible for all that crap...
His resignation wouldn't change a thing.
We need a new republic, a new constitution, and the renewal of all the politicians in this country... his resignation wouldn't even be a start...
This being said, if I was him, for pride & honor, i would have resigned.
01 September 2015, 15:42
77
We need to change Berri and Jumblat who have been in power long before Harriri arrived.
01 September 2015, 15:47
96
Why since 93? Since own started his wars, since the republic war loards used weapons
Since 93? We know what you are referring to. You forgot Aown, Syrians, Hizbolah. Amal And only pointing to the time when Taef and Hariri became Prime minister, cheap why to throw responsibility on the person who did the good thing and paid the price. Sectarian thinking. ..what a shame.
01 September 2015, 16:00
113
Victim ? what victim ? if you were a minister that sees that this will happen in your country , why did you agree to take this position ? and then sit and moan about it ... he is not a victim , he is a degenerate of a minister
01 September 2015, 16:19
98
blablabla don't worry yourself with petty things. You are a business tycoon as you said and you need worry about your companies and the stock market. I hope the depreciation of the Chinese Yuan is not affecting you too much.
01 September 2015, 16:20
118
Solidere must be nationalized and the money must go back to their rightful original owners. Hariri bought Beirut by paying one cent to the $10,000
01 September 2015, 14:46
1216
You sound like you have a perfect plan, which is to do nothing and whine at those who do. You'll go far in life.
01 September 2015, 15:00
711
maybe but machnouq has showed in daylight how incompetent he is; it would be honourable for him just to quit
01 September 2015, 15:18
21
OTV you should be ashamed of yourselves for your BIASED coverage on what's happening in downtown Beirut right now...Just because you don't agree with the one Protester ( who by the way has every right to post anything about ANY religion anywhere on his social media accounts ) so all the movement has become corrupt and are 1 sided as declared by your station and your website.
Your first job and duty should be to show the viewer the real goings on at the scene and NOT to criticize the youth that are doing an amazing job at resurrecting a country that has been on life support due to all the political that your ministers has been part of all the while...
Shame on you !
01 September 2015, 15:43
01
Sometimes, in order to be heard civilian movements must take action or they will not be taken seriously. I don't believe this movement is going to make progress unles it puts pressure by doing things like that without going over the edge and risk retaliation from security forces which will then justify their actions.
01 September 2015, 15:53
75
lebjack : the problem is the paralysis i agree , but this lousy minister has not taken a proactive approach several months ago when this problem was showing up ! he deserves to be kicked out and i agree with the protestors
01 September 2015, 16:21
119
katebi1965
the plants were approved in 2010 but the aoun-hezbollah government shelved them out of spite.
01 September 2015, 15:54
106
All this is because of Hezbollah' +Aoun paralysis of the government since 2005
01 September 2015, 16:34
85
Pajama boy
Je ne suis pas communiste bien au contraire. En fait je suis un banquier comment donc puis je etre un communiste?
N'empeche que Hariri a avale Beirut et a "vole" Beyrouth et a cause beaucoup de victims don't ma famille. #20,000 de stock pour un immobilier valant a ce temps la $5 millions. Alors bon
01 September 2015, 23:13
24
Pajama boy
oui je suis un bankster ce qui m'echappe c le fait que ta famille a aussi beaucoup perdu et tu me donnes l'impression que t'acceotes le fait que des familles entieres ont beaucoup perdu la mienne et la tiennes inclues et tu ne penses pas que Solidere est le grand beneficiaire?
01 September 2015, 17:19
10
We will get nowhere in Lebanon until the generation of you M8 and M14 idiots gets old and we the younger secular generation (with brains) replace your stupid politicians who have have not improved anything the last 40 years.
01 September 2015, 18:01
01
STINKING POLITICAL MANIPULATION,
" in longer term Activist group called for parliamentary general election and election of a president"
This exactly what FPM wants.
I am against such plan, not because it is the idea of Aoun but because in this situation it will be impossible to have fair election. Beside if it occurs these elections will be done under the gunpoint in the favour of the illegal armed group HA.
The people started manifestation with good intention of finding solution for the waste solution
But now "youStink" group is going towards complete vacuum.
That's why I am concerned that "youStink" is effectively STINKING OF POLITICAL MANIPULATION.
I wish my brain is tiny (like many will tell me) and that I am wrong, but the progress of the situation is proving me right
01 September 2015, 18:58
96
exactly! imagine what would happen if the demonstrators occupied Berri's office;)
01 September 2015, 21:15
43
Aoun asked for this few years ago...
I wounder if bassilo did declare ?...
01 September 2015, 19:08
00
And John you saw all this while LIVING IN AUSTRALIA I mean Koura.
01 September 2015, 20:15
63
Well if an awoumiyeh think that way chapeau...
U kno shiak most of the lebanese are from this or other party because they are born in this or that family, like the way u inhirrite ur religion..
So anyone who thinks this way is more than welcome; happy to have u back bigjohn; all means all!!!
Btw shiak ur nickname is unappropriate man... Really... Again hachem al salman was a shiite and killed in daylight by hezbos and his family was not able to do proper funeral bc of threats by hezbos...
01 September 2015, 20:18
00
the protesters are 100% right about their frustration on these corrupted politicans.
but they also are 100% wrong about their demands and how to fix the problem.
occupying buildings, attacking security forces, behaving as they are now makes them thugs like those they are revolting against.
asking for resignation of government, makes them stupid, because they don't know where that will lead them.
the solution is clear: revolt in front of every leader, and force them to go to parliament to elect a president. this will automatically consider the government as resigned.
then form a neutral government that will work on electoral law, then run a new parliamentary election.
this is the only way the people's voice can be heard in smart peaceful way.
01 September 2015, 21:41
53
I am now convinced this is not an innocent movement. As it gets dark, the thugs are taking over and attacking the ISF. I also saw a video where a lead demonstrator inside the ministry was asking the ISF negotiator to handcuff him and take him out of the building. The ISF negotiator was telling him no need for that just go out peacefully. He kept insisting on being handcuffed. He obviously wanted to be seen handcuffed in order to demonize the ISF.
01 September 2015, 21:54
62
Is mhd mashnou2 doing his job???
If no then let him leave...
What the hell is he still doing there??? If he even got out of the waste comite???
Someone must at least feel that he might be held accountable
01 September 2015, 22:33
43
Is anyone doing their job? Answer is NO. Then all of them must leave and save the treasury of paying salaries for over 120 thieves.
01 September 2015, 22:29
41
The problem is not Right wing or Left wing. It is corrupt Politicians who divided the cheese and were able to do it by dividing the people into secular alleys.
01 September 2015, 23:15
41
Big john
Rather than name each party in a rather divisive way just say that ALL our politicians are corrupt. There is no need to start with M14 then add the rest
Kinda lame
01 September 2015, 23:21
43
we should also prevent former ministers and former MP's to receive salary for life even though they finished serving in their jobs
