Marawan Hamade: Illegal Protests Put the People on Collision Course

Minister of Communications Marwan Hamade on Wednesday warned against illegal protests, noting that such acts “would collide with the Lebanese People.”

 

Hamade made the remark to reporters at his office following separate meetings with U.S. and British ambassadors.

 

The warning came one day before scheduled protests by pro-opposition unions that hold Premier Fouad Saniora”s majority government responsible for the deteriorating economic situation.

 

Six ministers representing the Hizbullah-led opposition resigned their posts more than a year ago after which the March 8 alliance launched the tent city protest in downtown Beirut that has resulted in the closure of more than 170 businesses and sent over 3.500 people unemployed.

 

The protest, scheduled for Thursday, comes one day after the first anniversary of a similar move by the opposition that resulted in riots killing four people and wounding scores.

 

“We are not scared of sit-ins … or legal strikes and demonstrations. Any move that does not threaten civil order will not be confronted by us,” Hamade said.

 

“The army is in charge of security. We have no weapons and we seek neither weapons nor collision. But let it be known to all that the arena of independent-democratic Lebanon would not be left (for exploitation) by anyone,” Hamade added.

 

“We urge all (factions) to respect the legal path, any other path would collide with the Lebanese People … We advise all against trying street game,” he said, according to the state-run National News Agency.