Gunbattles erupt during protest of Beirut blast probe; 6 die

By ZEINA KARAM and SARAH EL DEEB

BEIRUT (AP) — Heavy gunfire broke retired Thursday successful Beirut during a protestation organized by the Hezbollah radical against the justice starring the probe into past year’s blast successful the city’s port. At slightest six radical were killed and dozens wounded successful the astir convulsive thoroughfare warring successful the Lebanese superior successful years.

The exchanges of occurrence on a erstwhile beforehand enactment from the 1975-90 civilian warfare progressive pistols, automatic rifles and rocket-propelled grenades, and were reminiscent of that conflict. Gunfire echoed for hours, and ambulances rushed to prime up casualties. Snipers changeable from buildings. Bullets penetrated flat windows successful the area. Schools were evacuated and residents hid successful shelters.

The chaos raised the specter of a instrumentality to sectarian unit successful a state already embroiled successful aggregate crises, including 1 of the world’s worst economical crises of the past 150 years.

It was not wide who started the shooting, which began soon aft the commencement of the protestation organized by the Iran-backed Hezbollah and its Shiite allies from the Amal Movement against Judge Tarek Bitar, who is starring the probe into past year’s monolithic larboard explosion. Hezbollah and its allies impeach the justice of singling retired politicians for questioning, astir of them allied with Hezbollah.

Tensions implicit the larboard blast person contributed to Lebanon’s galore troubles, including a currency collapse, hyperinflation, soaring poorness and an vigor situation starring to extended energy blackouts.

Officials from some Shiite parties, including Hezbollah person Hassan Nasrallah, had attacked Bitar for days, accusing him of politicizing the probe by charging and summoning immoderate officials and not others. They privation him removed.

None of Hezbollah’s officials person truthful acold been charged successful the 14-month investigation.

The probe centers connected hundreds of tons of ammonium nitrate that were improperly stored astatine a larboard warehouse that detonated connected Aug. 4, 2020. The blast killed astatine slightest 215 people, injured thousands and destroyed parts of adjacent neighborhoods. It was 1 of the largest non-nuclear explosions successful past and further devastated the state already beset with governmental divisions and fiscal woes.

Bitar is the 2nd justice to pb the analyzable investigation. His predecessor was removed pursuing ineligible challenges.

On Thursday, soon earlier the planned protest, an appeals tribunal turned down a petition to region Bitar from his station filed by 2 lawmakers who are defendants successful the case, some of them allies of Hezbollah.

The calls for the judge’s removal upset galore who considered it blatant interference successful the enactment of the judiciary.

The right-wing Christian Lebanese Forces mobilized supporters Wednesday evening aft Hezbollah and Amal called for the protestation astatine the Justice Palace, located connected the erstwhile beforehand enactment separating predominantly Muslim and Christian areas of Beirut. Videos circulating connected societal media Wednesday nighttime showed supporters of the Christian Lebanese Forces marching successful the streets, carrying ample crosses.

In a connection Thursday, the 2 Shiite groups said their protesters came nether occurrence from snipers deployed implicit rooftops. Among the dormant — each Shiites — were 2 Hezbollah members.

The service besides said protesters came nether fire, but aboriginal successful the evening said an “altercation and speech of fire” occurred arsenic the protesters were headed to the Justice Palace.

The unit unfolded portion U.S. Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland was successful town, gathering with Lebanese officials. Her docket was somewhat thrown disconnected by the enactment connected the streets.

Nuland aboriginal told an airdrome quality league that an impartial judiciary is the guarantor of each rights, successful evident disapproval of Hezbollah. “The Lebanese radical merit nary less, and the victims and the families of those mislaid successful the larboard blast merit nary less,” she said. “Today’s unacceptable unit makes wide what the stakes are.”

As the clashes erupted, an Associated Press writer saw a antheral unfastened occurrence with a pistol and gunmen shooting successful the absorption of protesters from a balcony. Several men fell instantly and bled connected the street. The service sent patrols to the country pursuing the gunfire betwixt the Muslim and Christian sides of the capital.

The Lebanese Red Cross said astatine slightest 30 radical were wounded. One of the dead, a parent of five, was changeable successful the head. Hezbollah said it planned a ceremonial for the woman, and 2 of its fighters, for Friday. Amal, which is headed by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, planned a abstracted a ceremonial for 2 of its members.

Four projectiles fell adjacent a backstage French school, Freres of Furn el Chebbak, causing panic. In scenes reminiscent of the civilian war, students huddled successful the cardinal corridors. Smoke covered the neighborhoods that saw relentless gunfire.

The shooting subsided astir 4 hours later, aft service troops were deployed.

Youssef Diab, a writer who specializes successful tribunal affairs, said the protestation was meant arsenic a amusement of unit and a connection that Hezbollah and Amal power the street. What happened showed them that they are not the lone ones who power the street.

“There is different street, and confronting it could stroke up the concern successful a large way,” Diab said.

In a statement, Prime Minister Najib Mikati appealed for calm and urged radical “not to beryllium dragged into civilian strife.”

Beirut nonmigratory Haneen Chemaly, who heads a section radical that provides societal services, hid with her 6-month-old babe successful her building’s structure and past astatine her neighbors’ home. She accused Lebanon’s leaders of steering the state into civilian war, saying it’s “the past paper they person to use.”

“They person (driven) america into bankruptcy, devastation and present they are scaring america with the specter of civilian war,” she said.

Michel Younan, a nonmigratory of Ain el-Remeneh neighborhood, inspected his car, which had its windows and doors breached successful the fighting. “There were protests and past abruptly gunfire began … Shooting, RPGs, everything,” helium said. “Isn’t this a shame? They brought america backmost to the days of the war.”

The clashes could derail Mikati’s month-old authorities adjacent earlier it begins tackling Lebanon’s economical meltdown.

A furniture gathering was canceled Wednesday aft Hezbollah demanded urgent authorities enactment against the judge. One Hezbollah-allied curate said helium and different Shiite furniture members would signifier a walkout if Bitar isn’t removed, further complicating Mikati’s mission.

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Associated Press journalists Hassan Ammar and Fadi Tawil contributed to this report.