Lebanese Christian Party Denies Involvement in Beirut Violence

The head of the Lebanese Forces party, a Christian-based right-wing political party, denied that his party was responsible for the attack in Beirut on predominately Shiite Muslim, pro-Hizbullah protesters demonstration against Judge Tarek Bitar and the probe which he is leading of the August 2020 Beirut Port explosion.

Samir Geagea denied that his party was responsible for the gunfire on protesters on Thursday on the border between Christian and Shiite Muslim neighborhoods that led to the deaths of at least seven people. He made his comments late on Friday on the Voice of Beirut International radio, Reuters reported.  He said that his party discussed holding a public strike should Hizbullah succeed in removing Bitar from the case, but not the shooting violence that observers fear could lead to another civil war. He said the party requested larger-than-usual military presence around the demonstration in order to make sure it ended peacefully with no Christian-Shiite clashes.

At least 19 people have been detained so far in connection with the incident.