One year after the deadly explosion in the port of Beirut, Lebanon between tributes and anger
The port of Beirut one year after the deadly explosion of August 4, 2020. REUTERS - MOHAMED AZAKIR
Text by: RFI Follow
6 mins
One year after the explosion that ravaged the port of Beirut on August 4, 2020, Wednesday is a day of national mourning in Lebanon.
The investigation has made little progress since the tragedy which left more than 200 dead, and the anger of the population is being felt.
Many shops and businesses have announced that they will remain closed.
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With our special
correspondent in Beirut,
Nicolas Falez
At the port of Beirut, a mass will be held in the late afternoon, and at 6:07 p.m. (local time), the time of the explosion a year ago, a minute of silence must be observed.
At that time, exactly one year ago, on August 4, 2020, the Lebanese capital was partly blown up by a gigantic explosion that left more than 200 dead and thousands injured.
Hear testimony from Rita Freiha, one of the shock-battered townspeople.
At first I didn't sleep, I had nightmares all the time.
Rita Freiha, a resident of Beirut who survived the explosion
Nicolas falez
Before this tribute, in the afternoon, processions will start from three meeting points in town to converge on the port, political parties and groups from the protest, which began in 2019 in Lebanon, will be present.
► To read also: Immigrants in Lebanon, phantom victims of the explosion of August 4
And this is where the main question of the day lies: what will be the part of mourning, tribute, meditation?
And what will be the part of the anger?
Among these anger, there is the anger of the victims of the explosion in Beirut who note that
the investigation is on the spot
then a year: many are those who want to know why this stock of ammonium nitrate was stored in a hangar. for years and for her reason it exploded on August 4, 2020. And then the anger of Lebanese today exhausted by the economic catastrophe which had started before the explosion of the port a year ago but which since not has stopped getting worse.
"
Everyone is angry
"
Many have decided to take to the streets, especially the activists who for nearly two years have been mobilizing against the Lebanese political class they consider corrupt and incompetent. “
Everyone is angry. I experienced the explosion. Yesterday I was watching the news and had a panic attack. Everyone is angry because nothing has changed. We are going to show them that we are angry,
”summarizes Marouane Karam.
“
Everyone has lost someone.
We lost everything that day, he
recalls.
So we're going to say
“never again”, “we want justice”, “we are the government”.
The people will demand that their country be returned to them and say to the leaders:
“We want you to go, we don't want you anymore.
Now it's us, it's not you anymore. ”
".
Some Lebanese fear violence and others want violence.
“
We are going to a peaceful demonstration, which starts from three places to converge on the port at 6 pm.
And then we will go to Parliament, and there, I do not know what will happen,
”explains the young man.
An international conference for the people
An international conference in support of the Lebanese population is being held this Wednesday morning, August 4, by videoconference.
Forty countries, the UN and other international organizations are mobilizing.
France is leading this conference, the third of its kind for a year.
The aim is to raise some 350 million dollars for a Lebanese population facing one of the worst economic crises since the 19th century.
The Lebanese that we meet these days tell about hyperinflation, shortages in particular of drugs and increasingly long power cuts, without knowing where the descent into hell of their countries will stop.
► See also: One year after the deadly explosion, Beirut is struggling to heal its wounds
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