The Lebanese Army announced on Saturday that one of its soldiers was under investigation for his suspected involvement in shooting at demonstrators during their participation in a protest organized by Hezbollah and the Amal movement in the Tayouneh area of Beirut, which led to the killing of 7 people.
The army’s announcement came in response to videos circulated on social media, showing a soldier firing at protesters, who were calling for the dismissal of the investigative judge in the 2020 Beirut port explosion.
Meanwhile, the head of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), MP Gebran Bassil, joined Amal and Hezbollah’s campaign against the Lebanese Forces and its head, Samir Geagea, over Thursday’s clashes in Tayouneh.
In a press conference on Saturday, Bassil referred to Geagea without naming him, saying: “There is someone - who whenever attempts to get clean - ends up shedding blood, because it is in his nature… The crime of Tayouneh is the biggest proof.”
Bassil went on to say: “Whoever has a bloody history should not pretend to aim for justice while killing protesters, in attempt to cause a strife.”
“No one has the right to snipe the demonstrators, even if they were provocative,” the FPM head added.
He emphasized that expressing an opinion, “no matter what, does not justify a response with violence, shooting, and murder.”
Hezbollah and the Amal movement reiterated their demand to punish Geagea, accusing him of being involved in the Tayouneh clashes, despite the LF denial.
Hezbollah’s MP Hussein Hajj Hassan said that the victims were killed by LF snipers.
