A mass rally against US fresh sanctions and interference in Lebanon's affairs was held near the US Embassy in Beirut's suburb of Awkar on Friday, a Sputnik correspondent reported
BEIRUT (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th July, 2020) A mass rally against US fresh sanctions and interference in Lebanon's affairs was held near the US Embassy in Beirut's suburb of Awkar on Friday, a Sputnik correspondent reported.
The protest brought together people from various political movements, including Hezbollah, the Communist Party and the Syrian Social Nationalist Party.
"The main purpose of the event is to warn Americans against interfering in our internal affairs. They made up a law called 'Caesar' to starve the Lebanese and Syrian people. They, who created the IS [Islamic state terrorist group, banned in Russia] and terror, want the Resistance [Hezbollah] to lay down their weapons. We state this will not happen," Nadim Mustafa, a representative of the Arab Democratic Party, told Sputnik.
The activist went on to argue that Hezbollah is a "weapon for protection against external aggression of Israel," which is "not used inside Lebanon."
Police, security and armed forces were on standby throughout the rally. After protesters tried to break down the barbed wire fence at the entrance to the diplomatic mission, the police responded with water cannons and tear gas.
Tensions between Lebanon and the United States have spiked over the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, which targets individuals or companies that cooperate financially with Syrian President Bashar Assad's government and directly impacts neighboring countries, including Lebanon. In late June, Prime Minister Hassan Diab demanded that Lebanon be excluded from the sanctions policy against Syria.
In a separate development, US Ambassador Dorothy Shea has triggered a backlash after she accused Hezbollah of blocking an economic recovery in Lebanon and siphoning billions of Dollars from the government. Beirut denounced her comments as an open interference in internal affairs meant to destabilize the situation in the country.
Washington has long been demanding that Hezbollah disarm, but the Shiite movement insists that its military potential is needed to defend Lebanon in case of Israel's aggression.
