Rare Public Anger at Hizbullah after Crackdown on Street Vendors
A police raid against unlicensed street vendors in Beirut's southern suburbs has caused a rare public expression of anger in a stronghold of Hizbullah.
The raid early Wednesday in the Hay el-Sellom neighborhood was carried out by the Internal Security Forces, which used bulldozers to take down shacks where vendors mainly sold coffee and mobile phones.
Dozens of angry residents poured into the streets, burning tires and blocking some roads to prevent the police from approaching their properties.
The protest turned against Hizbullah, which had promoted the campaign against violators. In an usual move, some took their grievances to live TV, demanding compensation from Hizbullah and even cursing the group's leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
Public displays of anger against Hizbullah in Lebanon are rare, especially in the group's strongholds.
Source: Associated Press, Naharnet
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