Protesters Watch Smoke Rise From Port of Beirut Silos on Anniversary of Deadly Explosion
Hundreds of people marched through the streets of Beirut, Lebanon, on August 4 to mark the second anniversary of the deadly port explosion of 2020, as another portion of the grain silos at the port collapsed, local media reported.
This footage uploaded to Facebook by user Hatem Halaoui shows protesters watching smoke from the silos billowing into the air as they march through the streets holding banners and an array of posters. “The moment a piece of the arches fell … witness to the crime,” read a caption accompanying one of the videos.
A section of the grain silos first collapsed on Sunday, July 31. According to local news outlet Naharnet, a fire ignited by fermenting wheat and grains that remained in the damaged structure broke out at the silos in early July of 2022.
Local media reported that some protesters, which included the families of victims, carried white coffins with the names of victims.
The protests also involved a sit-in outside the French embassy in Beirut. Local media reported that a spokesperson for the families said French President Emmanuel Macron “has not fulfilled his promises and we call on France to form an international fact-finding mission.” Credit: Hatem Halaoui via Storyful
Video Transcript
[CHATTER]
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[SLOW MUSIC PLAYING]
[WOMAN SINGING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE]
[PROTESTORS RHYTHMICALLY CLAPPING]
[MARCHING BAND PLAYING]
