BEIRUT: Beirut shops and banks closed down and two separate groups of demonstrations marched through the streets in city-wide protests today [May 26] over the Government’s policy on Israeli aggression.

In one of the demonstrations refugees from the south of the country, many of them mothers carrying young children, marched to Parliament building. The Government’s Finance and Defence Commissions were meeting to discuss the need for introducing voluntary military service. Firmly contained by the Police, the marchers chanted anti-Government slogans and carried placards declaring “give us arms”. From the Parliament building the demonstrators went up to the Palestinian refugee camp in the suburb of Sabra, where a meeting organised by Palestinian commandos was due to begin later.

In the other demonstration, supporters of the Interior Minister, Maj Kamal Jimblatt’s Progressive Socialist Party joined with the Communists and Baathists in distributing leaflets calling on the Government to ask other Arab countries to send troops to Lebanon. After stopping briefly outside the Parliament building, the demonstrators marched on towards Beirut airport. Police armoured vehicles were stationed nearby to prevent further trouble.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2020