Conflict Incident Report

Lebanese activists Wednesday protested in Beirut against the alleged release of suspects involved in celebratory gunfire at the end of June, the state-run National News Agency reported.

A group of activists, known as The Uprising of the Genteel against the Vulgar, gathered in front of Beirut’s Justice Palace in the Adlieh neighborhood to decry what they called “the discharge of most of the detainees in the case of shooting random gunfire” following the announcement of the grade 9 exam results, the NNA reported.

“We gather today to talk about the performance of the politicians, the justices and the security officials in a very sensitive case ... the issue of the unregulated arms and the random shooting of gunfire [resulting in] a number of victims is a result of moral and security breaches,” Sleiman Samaha, a speaker at the protest said.

A number of the victims of the shootings families and lawyers took part in the gathering.

Lebanon's Internal Security Forces warned they would arrest anyone who engages in celebratory gunfire, a custom in Lebanon.

Lebanese activists Wednesday protested in Beirut against the alleged release of suspects involved in celebratory gunfire at the end of June, the state-run National News Agency reported. A group of activists, known as The Uprising of the Genteel against the Vulgar, gathered in front of Beirut’s Justice Palace in the Adlieh neighborhood to decry what they called “the discharge of most of the detainees in the case of shooting random gunfire” following the announcement of the grade 9 exam results, the NNA reported. “We gather today to talk about the performance of the politicians, the justices and the security officials in a very sensitive case ... the issue of the unregulated arms and the random shooting of gunfire [resulting in] a number of victims is a result of moral and security breaches,” Sleiman Samaha, a speaker at the protest said. A number of the victims of the shootings families and lawyers took part in the gathering.

Lebanon's Internal Security Forces warned they would arrest anyone who engages in celebratory gunfire, a custom in Lebanon.

“People were relieved and had high hopes ... until we knew that 83 out of 90 suspects were released,” Samaha continued. “This performance [from authorities] weakens the nation.”