Artists Storm Tele Liban over Its Failure to Cover Protests

A number of Lebanese artists, actors and actresses on Tuesday stormed the building of Lebanon’s state-run television in Beirut over its failure to cover the protests that have been rocking the country for the past six days.

“The entire world is talking about this historic event. It is unacceptable for the national television to refrain from covering such an event,” prominent actor Badih Abou Chakra told reporters after entering the building.

The actor Wissam Hanna for his part condemned the sacking of the director of the National News Agency, Laure Suleiman, decrying that “they have appointed a person whose political affiliation is well-known.”

“We are not here to occupy. We are here to say that the television belongs to Lebanon,” the actor Abdo Chahine said.

The actress Anjou Rihan for her part said that Tele Liban’s failure to “cover the presence of one million people on the streets is unreasonable.”

The artists, who also included Juneid Zeineddine, Fadi Samra, Mazen Kiwan and Elie Habib, also called for holding Information Minister Jamal al-Jarrah accountable.