Sorry I didnt know where to post this and I dont want to ruin the Beirut Gate thread, but why doesnt BG kick these people off its property???


http://bloggingbeirut.com/images/dec06/fireSide1.jpg

for the same reason they didnt kick out march 14th campers ... i dont agree with why they're there, but i believe they have a right to be there regardless of how ridiculous and stupid their leaders are (doesnt mean they're stupid)... so long as they're lebanese that is

^^ As a matter of FACT, M14 campers were only around the Martyrs Square statue IN the public Martyrs Square. These people are chilling, smoking, lighting campfires, etc on property that has been publicly announced recently (with the posters, signs, and statue) as owned by BG.

The Lebanese Canadian Bank plot is closed off with walls actually - smart move.

That's true Beirut! They have to kick them out. Let's not forget Landmark project's area also (if they have gathered there).

my bad i thought they were near the statue; i dont know the area well from pix only

That's true Beirut! They have to kick them out. Let's not forget Landmark project's area also (if they have gathered there).


Isnt the Landmark project enclosed by a wall?

Here are the new pics...

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d184/rhmud/ra1891935463.jpg

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d184/rhmud/isgerns03021206145213photo00.jpg

where will the lebanese protest when those projects get completed? lol

Isnt the Landmark project enclosed by a wall?
I guess not all the area is enclosed by a wall.

BEFORE:

http://img61.imageshack.us/img61/6781/dscn1068fn2.jpg
http://img170.imageshack.us/img170/5577/dscn1070mv5.jpg


AFTER:

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d184/rhmud/ra1891935463.jpg
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d184/rhmud/isgerns03021206145213photo00.jpg

Could the Landmark or BG possibly file a law suite because of their losses as a result of this delay in construction?

Beirut!, I don't think that the developers of Beirut Gate have any reason or desire to sue at the moment, partly because it is not their responsibility, the burden lies on the shoulders of the contractors - they were given a project by the Abu Dhabi Investment House based on their proposals which included a hand-over date and cost, now if for some reason they do not meet this hand-over date, there may be penalties, in which case, the contractor sue's the city development authority or the government for not providing a "safe" or operable environment to work in. Now in such circumstances such as unforseen demonstrations and civil unrest, I believe the developer (the Abu Dhabi Investment House) has no ground to charge the contractor penalties because there is no way that the contractor could have predicted such events. So relative to the construction, there will probably be no court requests, but don't get me wrong, if this project is delayed and the owners incure losses from the start, this will negatively impact the country's investment reputation, and more specifically, it might hamper inbound investment into the Solidere part of Beirut, since it has been the epicenter of the majority of demonstrations and such...but on the other had, it is the only part of the city that has the adequate infrastructure, services and utilities that can both asthetically and practically support such upscale developments such as Beirut Gate and all those glitzy towers that are coming up by the Intercontinental and Marina.

^^ Thanks for the information. My only hope is that once these projects are completed there will be no space left for such large-scale demonstrations!

I was more specifically referring to the Landmark though. Construction has already begun and now most certainly has been paused indefinately...

what would Beirut Gate say about this?
http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/2812/31418356953e9663a42ons5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/7412/314179571193df487b8oyd3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

^^ Ahh they make me so angry! They should all be arrested... seriously.

^^Oh my, I don't know what to think!

It's funny and sickening at the same time...

This is getting really upsetting... I really dont mind demonstrations in public squares, but camping out on private property for this long is ridiculous and in the some cases is preventing construction from continuing and costing billions in losses... why is there not enough outrage at this????

there is ... unfortunately the outraged are regular people and not important ones. the important ones are too busy counting to see who has more people in the street

the closing down of downtown has so far cost stores alone $80 million... not counting the business offices down there

Geagea accuses protesters of 'violating the law'


Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Daily Star staff


BEIRUT: Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said Tuesday that the ongoing sit-in held by the opposition forces in Downtown Beirut is a "violation of the laws." "Using public streets as gathering points for people who wish to express their views is a natural right, but [activities such as] invading the streets, building fixed constructions and preventing people from using the streets are a violation of freedom of expression," he said in an interview with Al-Anbaa newspaper to be published on Wednesday.

Geagea acknowledged a rise in tensions but said that there are no signs that indicate an impending civil war. "The situation is tense and escalating but there are no signs that the country's main parties want to engage in a war," he told the paper.

"There are some secondary parties that want to instigate a war but they are unable to do so; they just deliver irresponsible speeches," he added.

Geagea said the government would implement the laws and adopt legal measures if the opposition decided to cut roads.

Asked about accusations that the government collaborated with Israel during the July-August war, he said: "If they have evidence or documents that prove anything against the March 14 Forces, why don't they present them? We know that they don't have any proof."

Geagea also said he supports the deployment of international observers along the Lebanese-Syrian border. to "halt weapon smuggling." - The Daily Star

Some of the people here don)t really understand the concept of democracy... but thats understandible it's not a very easy thing to understand,,, but i hope you will learn it with time...

^^ I know, they think being a democracy gives you the right to take over private (and public) property. You have every right to demonstrate, but not build fixed structures (equipped with electricity and all) which is totally illegal.

BEIRUT: The Lebanese Forces (LF) demanded that the government and judiciary dismantle the opposition camp currently set up in Downtown Beirut. In a statement issued after the parliamentary bloc's regular monthly meeting on Wednesday, presided over by LF leader Samir Geagea, the members called on the Cabinet and the judiciary to take the appropriate measures, to take down the tent city "so that the Lebanese can return to their normal lives."

The LF statement said that the opposition camp could no longer be considered a democratic right; "it has come to be an act of vandalism to public property, not more not less."

The LF described the sit-in, as "against the will of the majority of the Lebanese, in addition to having dramatic repercussions on the economic situation in Downtown Beirut."

The LF bloc also called on their fellow MPs to maintain efforts "to overthrow" President Emile Lahoud, whom they described as "the source of evil and corruption in the country."

The statement added that Lahoud should face trial for breaching the Constitution "and because he constitutes a danger for the well-being and the very existence of Lebanon."

It said that the only way out of the current political crisis is to resort to constitutional institutions such as Parliament. The LF bloc also welcomed all Arab and foreign efforts to resolve the deadlock. - The Daily Star

of course, it is private proberty. The best way to get [them] out of this place when the construction company would start with the construction. :) They could decide when and what they do with this piece of land.

^^ lol well historically speaking, everytime this crowd comes in and takes over an area they ask for retributions! so im scared that we've hit their time limit and now we have to pay each 40K to buy another freakin house so they'll move out of downtown! btw geagea said that too

NOTE: In order to salvage this thread we had to remove about half of the posts and make some edits to others.

PLEASE stay on topic and refrain from making any emotional outbursts or "insensitive" comments.

Most importantly, NO POLITICAL remarks whatsoever!

omg that pic with the people sitting on the signs for beirut gate is so rude ! who do they think they are

Have the developers of these projects released any statements regarding this situation?

Here is a general view of the area:


Courtesy of Kenzo3
http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/3003/kenzo3zb4.jpg

Courtesy of Kenzo 233
http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/9215/kenzo233jn0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

^^ is that the Landmark Tower plot all the way to the left (last pic) ??? It looks fairly small for such a huge project

These picture piss me off..I didnt know they also blocked roads and erected a checkpoint? These are public right of ways..and they should force them to be open.while we are at remove them all ..put them on the landfill...can owners of the plots take manes to remove them themselves? If i owned the land ide hire buldozers and try and force them to leave..Plus is the opposition going to offer to repave,replant, and repaint the area when they leave..Solidere and the owners should sue the partys participating

^^ is that the Landmark Tower plot all the way to the left (last pic) ??? It looks fairly small for such a huge project


Yes but it is just part of it...sadly they had JUST erected the walls around the plot and began digging when all this started...only if they had begun digging the entire plot...

See this post: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=10349057&postcount=45

The New solidere report says that there security cam network (cctv) are on hold in that area..as well as landscaping improvments to Nejmeh square because of this..

Tent city or ghost city?With no end in sight, opposition supporters grow weary of the sit-in.
Hanin Ghaddar, NOW Staff, July 19, 2007


“The camp is not entertaining anymore,” complained Ghassan, a 23-year-old student from Beirut’s southern suburbs. “When the sit-in first began, we had the will and the enthusiasm to go down there every day, as we were convinced that the Siniora government would certainly give in to our demands soon.” Ghassan and his friends, however, have stopped going to the sit-in, because they started to feel that it was not leading anywhere.

So it seems, more than seven months into the protest downtown, government supporters are no longer the only citizens questioning the camp’s value.

“Today, I have lost the motivation, and I feel my participation is not going to make a difference,” explained Adel, a 35-year-old father from the South. “Everybody knows this sit-in is not working, and it’s only still there because taking it out would mean a great defeat for the opposition, mainly Hezbollah, which is the most determined party,” he added.

Originally set up in conjunction with an enormous protest on December 1, 2006 the opposition camp downtown is still dominated by Shia Hezbollah and Amal and the Christian Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) of General Michel Aoun. In the beginning, it attracted a large number of opposition supporters, who believed that the “divine victory” they claimed to have achieved during the 2006 summer war could be used as a tool to topple the Siniora government. Hezbollah called upon opposition members to join them in a movement aimed at bringing about a “national unity government” (ignoring, of course, the fact that the current government was a national unity government until opposition-allied ministers resigned in late November). In a speech broadcasted on Al-Manar TV, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah articulated the goals of the protest: “We have and are now again calling for the formation of a national unity government, because if we want to preserve Lebanon`s independence and its sovereignty, to prevent Lebanon from falling under any foreign tutelage, to strengthen the foundations of security, stability and civil peace, to cooperate in addressing the suffocating social and economic crisis … then we must cooperate, join forces and unite efforts in this current stage.”

Two weeks before the sit-in began, five Hezbollah and Amal ministers resigned from the cabinet, followed by a pro-opposition Christian minister. The sit-in was launched with a massive demonstration against the government. The following month, on January 23, 2007, opposition protestors paralyzed the country by burning tires and cars on major roads and highways around Beirut, imposing a general strike. Riots resulted in three dead and 133 injured. Two days later, Sunni and Shia students clashed at the Beirut Arab University, sparking civil unrest in other areas in Beirut. Four people were killed and 150 injured.

In the late spring, a fresh wave of violence began as the army was plunged into battle with the radical Islamist group Fatah al-Islam in the North. In the first weeks of the clashes, Lebanon witnessed a number of explosions in addition to the assassination of another March 14 figure, MP Walid Eido.

In the beginning, most opposition supporters viewed the sit-in purely as an action aimed at toppling the government, and separate from the events that followed. But, while Hezbollah still enjoys broad support within the Shia community, many of its supporters are now starting to ask questions about the sit-in, its objectives, and its relationship with other events taking place in Lebanon.

Hassan, a 40-year-old shop owner from the South, told NOW Lebanon that he initially heeded Nasrallah’s call because “it was the least I could do to express my gratitude to Hezbollah and its leader. Men are offering their lives, so how can I sit back and do nothing?” However, as the sit-in began to drag on with limited results, Hassan realized that achieving its objective was going to take much longer than he had estimated. “I can’t leave my store for a long time. How would I survive? Politics is not going to put food on my table, nor it is going to pay for my children’s education,” he added.

Hassan was by no means alone in his decision to go downtown out of a sense of duty. Employees at Hezbollah schools, hospitals and social organizations felt they had to participate in the demonstration, especially in the beginning. “I’ve been teaching at Al-Mahdi School for years, and when your employer asks you to be part of an organized movement that relies on the presence of their supporters, you can’t say no,” explained one teacher, Mohammad who said that he’s not longer camping out downtown but tries to show-up from time to time as a sign of allegiance and solidarity.

Walking through the tent city where the sit-in is taking place, the absence of civilians is conspicuous. Tents have been erected along three main roads leading to the Grand Serail, in addition to Riad el-Solh and Debbas Square. Opposition parties are divided within the camp, with Free Patriotic Movement tents set up in the Debbas Square and Riad el-Solh divided between Hezbollah and Amal. The camp is heavily guarded, with numerous checkpoints and security personnel on constant patrol. Clusters of men are scattered through the area – a few dozen of the thousands of original protesters.

To interview the remaining protesters inside the tent-city, permission must be obtained from the Hezbollah’s press office in the Dahiyeh. “You can only interview civilians, who are usually here after 7:00 pm,” Hezbollah security personnel explained. This statement confirms what is already obvious to any visitor: The full-time inhabitants of the camp today are almost exclusively party members. Civilian supporters may pass by in the evenings or on weekends, but they have long since packed up and gone home from the camp themselves.

Also missing are the cafes and carts that mushroomed around the camp during the first months of the sit-in. “Business was going really well the first few months, so I moved my 100 water-pipes to the camp, and I made a lot of money,” said Hassan, a café owner who lives in the Dahiyeh. “Then, people gradually stopped coming, first families and women, then, young men. The only people who kept on showing up were Hezbollah and Amal permanent members, who are paid to be there – it’s their job,” he added. As his initially brisk business in the camp slowed to a trickle, Hassan decided to return to his Dahiyeh café.

Despite the dramatic decrease in participation over the past few months, Al-Manar TV still broadcasts a live show from the camp every evening at 7:00 p.m. The program includes speeches, interviews and shots of protesters gathered in small groups. However, even Manar’s attempts to zoom in on protestors to project a better image of the state of the camp fails to convince spectators that people are still eager and committed.

Today, a year after the July war, the tent city has failed to achieve any of objectives other than further exacerbating the political deadlock in Lebanon and causing immeasurable damage to an already-dire economic situation – and the strain is starting to show. Many, including opposition supporters, are now asking questions about the worth of the sit-in and the negative impact it may be having on their lives.

“I’m still a supporter of Hezbollah and I believe in their cause, but I also want to have a decent life without having to worry about another war. We’ve been through many wars, occupations and invasions,” said Abou Ahmad, A taxi driver from the South, “I think we deserve a break.”

One year anniversary of Hezbollah's occupation of downtown Beirut

Friday, 30 November, 2007 @ 7:38 PM


Beirut, Lebanon - The Hizbullah-led opposition on Saturday marks the first anniversary of its central Beirut sit-in that has sent 2,700 people unemployed and forced closure of 75 restaurants and coffee shops.

Nevertheless, the protestors vowed to maintain their Tent City for years if need be to force the resignation of Premier Fouad Saniora's majority government.

"The sit-in began because there is a government that we consider illegitimate, and as long as our goal has not been achieved we will stay there indefinitely," Hizbullah spokesman Hussein Rahal said.

The continued protest comes as the country grapples with a dangerous political vacuum that has left the presidency vacant because of a standoff between pro- and anti-Syrian factions.

The year-long sit-in has transformed a large swathe of Beirut's usually bustling downtown into a ghost town and led to the shutdown of some 200 businesses and thousands of job losses.

And although the sprawling tent city pitched by the protesters on streets leading to Saniora's offices is now empty for the most part, it is a sore reminder for passersby of the crisis pitting the government against the Shiite militant group and its ally, opposition leader Michel Aoun.

Groups of young men mill outside the tents at night, some smoking water pipes and others chit-chatting about politics, reading a newspaper or watching television.

Several of the militants interviewed said they work in shifts manning the tents -- which they said number 600 -- with some going to work during the day and returning to the camp at night.

"When we started we thought the government would fall quickly but the days have gone by and now I think it will take a while," Emile Hashem, a spokesman for the militants loyal to Aoun, said.

"Still, we are ready to stay until Saniora leaves and if that takes 10 years so be it," he added.

"We are here 24 hours a day and we are staying," chimed in a Hizbullah militant who did not wish to give his name.

Hashem and a Hizbullah official said a rally was planned Saturday to commemorate the year-long sit-in.

The prime minister for his part has ignored the protesters camped under his windows and refrained from removing them by force to avoid an escalation.

"Mr. Saniora respects their right to demonstrate but what they are doing is infringing on people's freedom and it is translating into millions of dollars in losses for businesses," his spokesman Aref El-Abed said.

Ralph Eid, who owns a shoe store in the downtown area and is a member of the merchants' association, said the Hizbullah-led standoff with the government had spelled the death knell for many businesses.

"They have taken us hostage by their action," he said. "If they want to make a political statement, they can do so for a day, two or 10 days, but it's been a full year and they are killing everybody's business," he said.

Tarek Barakat, a member of the local restaurant association, said of the 105 restaurants, snack bars and coffee shops that operated in the downtown area, only 30 were still in business and some 2,700 employees had lost their jobs.

"It's been more than a disaster because a disaster has an end," Barakat said. "And here there is no end."

Source: Naharnet

I think authorities have been WAYYYY easy going with this issue....it's time to take some action and remove the scum from the city centre, use power-hoses! lol

LOL,Few people attended this 'PATHETIC SHOW' Today.

^^Did you see it???There was like maximum 15 lebanese falgs and the rest were "Al 7esb el kawmi el souri el ejteema3i", hezbollah flags and some that i know...
And as said, it IS PATHETIC!!!

^^Yes,I've seen it,People are Tired of Their Games.they know now that they r really destroying the country's Economy.

They look like jokes...it was funny a month after it started..they know theyre not going accomplish anything..Time to give up the free housing!

Hezbollah's occupation of downtown Beirut continues to drain economy


Saturday, 1 December, 2007 @ 6:49 PM


Beirut, Lebanon - It has been exactly a year since the Hezbollah-led opposition decided to camp in luxurious downtown Beirut to call for the end of the Western-backed government, ignoring the consequences of such a move on the business sector in this area.

This once-vibrant area of Beirut is today a ghost town, because the camp of people sitting in has inflicted great losses on shops, restaurants and pub owners.
"The so-called camp has failed to achieve its purpose, Prime Minister Fouad Seniora is still heading the government ... but we have paid the price," said local shop owner Mirana Bachaalani, speaking for her colleagues.

The tents of Hezbollah members and their allies were set up on December 1, 2006, covering mainly two main squares in downtown Beirut. Today the tents stand almost empty, full of chairs and garbage.

"If the tents are empty what is the reason behind this sit-in," said Bachaalani. "Who will compensate us for the lost business? Hezbollah and their allies, some of the Christian opposition?"

Approximately 168 businesses have closed down due to the sit-in. Seventy cafes and restaurants in the area closed their doors, while 15 now open only on a part-time basis.
Lebanon's Shiite Hezbollah group says there is no need to call off the sit-in in downtown Beirut, though today the dozens of tents are home to only a few Hezbollah security men in charge of security in the camp.

"Nothing requires calling off the sit-in in downtown Beirut. Consensus hasn't been achieved to remove the tents," said Hezbollah politburo chief Mohammed Komatti.

One Hezbollah security man, who said he usually spends his days in the camp reading newspapers and watching television, added: "We are ready to stay until Seniora leaves and if that takes 10 years so be it."

However, Ahmed Zein, a waiter in one of the few side-walk cafes still running noted with irony the opposition's lack of progress: "When the sit-in started Seniora was a premier, now he is the leader (president) of the country."

As Lebanon's leaders have failed to elect a new president by the November 23 deadline, Seniora's government according to the constitution is to head the country until a new president is elected.

"In this country we move from one crisis to another. The tent protest began long before the presidential crisis arose and many expect that an agreement would be reached to end this sit-in before the presidential crisis started," said Zein.

Government backers have called the tent city an occupation of downtown Beirut.

"This is a clear revenge from the opposition to anything which was achieved by the late prime minister Rafik Hariri," Zein said, referring to the former premier assassinated in 2005 who oversaw the rebuilding of downtown Beirut after the 1975-1990 civil war.

Hariri's son, Saad, today heads the ruling majority in the Lebanese parliament and Seniora is their closest ally and his father's long-time friend.

Lebanon has been in a political impasse since six pro-Syrian ministers quit the cabinet last November as a result of a power struggle between the anti-Syrian parliamentary majority and opposition blocs.

Lebanese leaders are engaged this week in talks to try to elect army commander Michel Suleiman as president to end the political crisis, but a constitution amendment is needed to allow a former soldier become president.

A parliament session planned for Friday was put off until December 7 to allow time for such an amendment.

On Saturday, the Beirut camp was busy as Hezbollah and their allies were heading downtown to commemorate the year-long sit-in.

Carrying pictures of Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah and his ally Michel Aoun, the crowd insisted that they will stay as long as needed.

But as the opposition crowds passed by to participate in the rally, one restaurant owner said: "All I can say is that downtown is a hostage today in the hands of the opposition."

Source: DPA

hey guys, just wanted to express my opinions on what everyone is saying. its quite simple really, the more u guys keep pointing the finger at each other and ridiculing lebanon's politicians, wether they are pro and anti whoever, the more we are gonna get divided as a people...and this gives more reason to ppl living abroad to look at us as a whole population and make fun of lebanese ppl, becoz thats whats happening! enough of this bullshit, he said this, he said that, he listens to him, they listen to that! lets listen to each other for once and help each other out, its our country! we have to fix it and take care of it! the ppl u see in pictures stepping on Beirut Gate's posters couldnt give a damn about all these projects, coz they have other worries to think about, such as having a decent salary to afford the necesseties in life...u have to try and put urself in other ppl's shoes and understand why they do such things, or say certain things, theyre not simply stupid and ignorant, but this is their way of showing theyre pissed off...theres nothing else they can do really...pls i urge u all, all these martyrs who have died, have all been trying to send a msg to lebanese ppl that we should unite, and we shouldnt give a toss and judge ppl based on whos shia, sunni, christian and even jewish!
UNITY IS THE KEY TO PROSPERITY!!!

on a serious note, im also quite ashamed of this mess! shame on us as a country and ppl to let this country fall apart like this! we cant even communicate with each other! who the hell is gonna fix this mess! no one listens to anyone, fucking stubborn ppl!!!

can you please dont swear like that.


coz they have other worries to think about, such as having a decent salary to afford the necesseties in life...

How about the people who lost there jobs because of them ?

true, i feel sorry for them too...but for those protesting, it is their of getting revenge or something...the only way to understand ppl's actions is to put urself in their shoes, even for just a day, u obviously dont like that...im not syaing what theyre doing is right, but i can see why theyre acting like this...

^^ No matter what the circumstances are, we all must agree that what they are doing is illegal and hurting the Lebanese economy (which in turn contributes to their own suffering).

But anyway, please let us not go down this path of debate in this thread (it happened before and over 30 posts were deleted). Let's keep this thread about the impact on the ongoing construction projects in the area. But I appreciate your positive attitude on this matter.

i agree with beirut, what they are doing is definitly hurting the lebanese economy and it seems illegal, but im not too sure theyre adding more problems to themselves, it seems someone is financing this chaos...
the problem with beirut is, that everything revolves around politics, even if we dont want it to be, ultimately it is, becoz somehow, somewhere, some politician has a financial interest in what is happening in beirut, hence why politics always plays a role!

I'm sure they're quite happy living in downtown beirut for over a year smoking argileh and destroying everything instead of getting off their lazy asses to work, pathetic.

leb-it, it is pathetic, but they were prbably unemployed even before all this happened, thats why they dont care, theyll sit there and smoke and play and eat, while some big power finances all this to reach their political objective, while we the leb ppl as a whole destroy each other, our country, economy and anything left in beirut...shame!!!
all this is becoz, some leb ppl are corrupt, and they think only of themselves and "their" ppl, which is the best formula for conflict!!! i hope somone will come to save our country and our ppl, coz obviously no one is gonna listen to me!

Guys, you better stop this debate right now...!

december 24th 2007

Courtesy of bangalmixer
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd61/beirutguy/saifi.jpg

when are they getting the hell out of there (and by they i mean the empty tents, i went there like last week and it's a gh:evil:st town for god sakes)

January 9 2008courtesy of maria nono

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2201/2180823544_e284fe61ca_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2072/2180823688_014ff6928d_o.jpg

^^ It is really a tragedy what has happened.

I wonder what the Beirut Gate developers are thinking when they see this pic?!

If you remember back when they first launched this project and erected that monument...and now to see it with an orange flag on top!

get those emply tents the fuck out o here god dam it
it's really a discrase, forget about bg, what do "we" think
i need to tern at dowra just to go to m.square and once u get there after u gone throw hell (koz of dowra traffic) there s no place to park!
it's a gost town there
well it sord of gottin its grip back over the holidays but now..........mitl ma re7té mitl ma jité
it really brings you down :(

Ive been waiting for a winter storm to blow them all away lol

lol ; well it's not too late keep ur fingers crossed

lol some of u guys got a funny sense of homour! haha

---------------

^^Can't they see it as a SIGN from ALLAH ??!!!!!!!!!

END THIS SILLY SIT-IN NOW !!!!!!!!!!

idiots... all of them.. heaters in a tent thats smart

oh my god, preys do come true :banana:

Police Could Not Investigate Tent City Fire

Fire fighters extinguished a blaze that erupted in a tent attended by partisans of Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun in downtown Beirut's makeshift Tent city on Saturday.
A Source at the Beirut fire brigade told Naharnet tent teams managed to prevent the spread of fire from Tent number three to the estimated 100 others tents that have been erected by the Hizbullah-led opposition in downtown Beirut since Dec. 1, 2006 with the declared objective of toppling Premier Fouad Saniora's majority government that persists in running the country.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said a fire engine, was parked outside Tent City, which is guarded by Hizbullah members, and fire fighters had to draw "hoses for over 100 meters to combat the blaze."

Hizbullah guards also prevented news photographers and cameramen from entering Tent City to cover the development.

A police source told Naharnet the department could not carry out an investigation into the incident because Tent City is "off limits" to state authority.

He told Naharnet that tenants of the makeshift city had introduced electric heaters to face the chilly weather and near zero temperature.

"Bad and illegal installation of the heaters led to short circuits and the outbreak of fire," the source said.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Outside Goverment Authority? !!! Why do we still allow this..fine sit there in yoru filfh while we do patrols in an around. Too bad it didnt spread they should have delayed there responce

Too bad it was contained to one tent..

^^Can't they see it as a SIGN from ALLAH ??!!!!!!!!!

END THIS SILLY SIT-IN NOW !!!!!!!!!!

:rofl:

^^i knew it :D

let's hope flooding is next! lol

then they will think its some sort of evil American plot aganist them .. trying to block there "constitutional rights "

Well if the area is "off-limits" then they should provide their own firefighters and not use city resources!

^^
Police Could Not Investigate Tent City Fire

Fire fighters extinguished a blaze that erupted in a tent attended by partisans of Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun in downtown Beirut's makeshift Tent city on Saturday.
A Source at the Beirut fire brigade told Naharnet tent teams managed to prevent the spread of fire from Tent number three to the estimated 100 others tents that have been erected by the Hizbullah-led opposition in downtown Beirut since Dec. 1, 2006 with the declared objective of toppling Premier Fouad Saniora's majority government that persists in running the country.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said a fire engine, was parked outside Tent City, which is guarded by Hizbullah members, and fire fighters had to draw "hoses for over 100 meters to combat the blaze."

Hizbullah guards also prevented news photographers and cameramen from entering Tent City to cover the development.

A police source told Naharnet the department could not carry out an investigation into the incident because Tent City is "off limits" to state authority.

He told Naharnet that tenants of the makeshift city had introduced electric heaters to face the chilly weather and near zero temperature.

"Bad and illegal installation of the heaters led to short circuits and the outbreak of fire," the source said.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Outside Goverment Authority? !!! Why do we still allow this..fine sit there in yoru filfh while we do patrols in an around. Too bad it didnt spread they should have delayed there responce

^^ Yes, the fire engine belongs to the City, not Hizballah. The firefighters had to park the truck outside!

this whole demonstration has really become just a joke. nobody takes it seriously anymore, not even march 8th supporters. but hassan nasrallah is too stubborn to call them off. i've been thru the tent city. 30 people maximum! i even know some tourists who have gone into the camps out of curiousity. heres an idea, market it as a Bedouin village and tourist attaction! might as well make the best of a bad situation lol.
btw u guys know they're praying on the posters, not stepping or sitting on them out of disrespect right?

http://photo.worldnews.com/PhotoArchive//2008/01/03/af8ef2103221f066a53d48db843ff703-grande.jpg
(photo: WN / Manuela Paraipan)

btw u guys know they're praying on the posters, not stepping or sitting on them out of disrespect right?

Doesn't matter what they're doing with them. It's still vandalism and destruction of personal property.

^^ Exactly, they can easily bring prayer rugs with them... I mean they practically brought their whole kitchens!

This was done to make a demonstration that they have moved in and taken over.

Also, isnt it haram to pray on something with images/writing?

^^ yeah it is its also HARAM to occupie personal properties

^^ Exactly, they can easily bring prayer rugs with them... I mean they practically brought their whole kitchens!

This was done to make a demonstration that they have moved in and taken over.

Also, isnt it haram to pray on something with images/writing?

They could've but its possible that maybe they forgot to bring one with them. A lot of the demonstrators were doing shifts and weren't there 24 hours a day. I don't know about that but I've seen some prayer rugs with pictures of mosques weaved into the fabric and i've even seen a couple with compasses built in (with writing). I'm not an Islamic expert so I can't really say anything about that.

^^ yeah it is its also HARAM to occupie personal properties
thats the idea of eminent domain which was used to rebuild downtown in the first place :lol: sure the government paid the former landowners but it was the government that set the price and forced the sale. but yeah back on topic, nobody takes this thing seriously anymore so its sorta pointless to keep the tents there

I was dissapointed on feb 14 ..should have overrun them LOL (i know terrible)
I cant wait to see Beirut Gate and Landmark to start construction..they will fill in those places and make it harder for a repeat

The sit-in has officially ENDED!

By midnight tonight (Beirut Time) all tents should be removed. So far the FPM and Amal Tents are dismantled and the Hizballah construction company (Jihad al-Bina) will remove their tents completely by the end of the day!

http://www.nowlebanon.com/Library/Images/MainPagePictures/tent-420eng.jpg

http://www.nowlebanon.com/Library/Images/MainPagePictures/tents-final-hiz1.jpg

1:30pm The opposition informed head of Beirut’s municipality and its mayor that it will rehabilitate downtown Beirut.


I believe this also means that they will repair all the damages they have caused to the landscaping, etc.

Lebanese opposition starts removing its tents


May 21, 2008

Members of Lebanon's Hezbollah-led opposition on Wednesday began dismantling a protest camp in Beirut following a deal to end the country's prolonged political crisis, an AFP correspondent witnessed.

Militants who had set up a tent city 18 months ago in the downtown area to force the government to resign could be seen gathering their belongings and putting them on pick-up trucks.

“I have been here for one year and 177 days,” said Ali Hammoud, 21, a Hezbollah member. “We were just waiting today for the order to clear.”

“I was paid 10,000 Lebanese pounds [$6.66] a day to stay in a tent, and I could eat, sleep and drink for free," he added.

Lebanon's parliament speaker and opposition leader Nabih Berri had announced an immediate lifting of the sit-in following the Arab-brokered deal between rival factions in Doha.

The protest began on December 1, 2006, when the opposition set up a sprawling tent city on streets leading to Prime Minister Fouad Siniora's offices in a bid to force him to step down.

It transformed a large swathe of the once-bustling city center into a ghost town, forcing dozens of restaurants and businesses to shut down.

-AFP/NOW Staff

http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/rids/20080521/i/r3614161604.jpg?x=400&y=266&sig=TQi6_ikhku6Gksxg8AUGaQ--

http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/rids/20080521/i/r271214441.jpg?x=400&y=290&sig=ijmNU.OxAwqOkTWgG_88JQ--

http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/rids/20080521/i/r811977046.jpg?x=400&y=282&sig=niMuMca8n1VhX1LyXdUPSw--

http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/rids/20080521/i/r4170441739.jpg?x=400&y=266&sig=oUnsFrfY6BGWsUhvpUihaQ--

http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20080521/capt.1d6c0fb8618743af9628532c8e0d9c87.mideast_lebanon__bei133.jpg?x=400&y=260&sig=vsYlSMhD31sphU_JBHX3qA--

WELL IT'S ABOUT DAMN TIME!!!
beiruti where did they say they would fix all the damages?

^^ They didnt say it exactly like that but this is what Naharnet posted:

1:30pm The opposition informed head of Beirut’s municipality and its mayor that it will rehabilitate downtown Beirut.

I hope they Start construction of Beirut Gate and Landmark Projects,So that next time they don't find spaces to sit-in :D

Hope we hear from the developers soon.

Taking it down (town)

As tent city is dismantled, Lebanese return to the streets of downtown


Zahra Hankir, NOW Staff , May 21, 2008

http://www.nowlebanon.com/ContentPictures/down-town-420-052108103314.jpg
A worker collects garbage as Lebanese opposition supporters gather their belongings in downtown Beirut on May 21, 2008. (AFP PHOTO/ RAMZI HAIDAR).

“It’s as if we were in prison and we’ve finally been let out,” says Hamid al-Bakkar, who, while on a prolonged coffee break from his nearby office this afternoon, sat and watched in awe as the once-deserted streets of downtown began to fill with people.

Following the announcement of a breakthrough agreement between Lebanon’s majority and opposition blocs in Qatar this morning, Speaker Nabih Berri declared on behalf of the opposition that the tent city which has effectively paralyzed the downtown area for nearly a year and a half would be removed today.

In the sweltering heat, a throng of Sukleen workers – up to 70 small teams – began removing the remnants of dismantled tents at around noon. “They dismantle, and we remove,” said Karim, one of the workers.

Opposition sources told NOW Lebanon that the clearing is being carried out with the aid of Hezbollah’s construction arm, Jihad al-Binaa. By noon, tens of pick-up trucks loaded with the tent materials surrounded the area. Amal Movement music blasted in the background, with numerous protestors celebrating what they declared to be the achievement of their goals.

It is expected that the area will be fully cleared in the coming hours, and that this evening, numerous Lebanese will return to the streets they have kept away from for so long. The head of the Hotel Syndicate, Pierre Achkar, spoke optimistically about the recent development, particularly with regards to tourism in Lebanon. “We only needed stability,” he said, noting that with the election of a president now imminent, such stability may finally be arriving. “Gradually, the tourism industry will kick off again, assuming that there will be no major differences,” he predicted.

“Once people on the outside start to sense that we have a desire to reach this stability, they will want to come here again.” Lebanon has long been a tourist attraction for wealthy Gulf tourists, who have shied away from the country in recent years.

The handful of remaining protestors still camped out in “tent city” this morning have started to leave the area, after helping to dismantle the tents of their respective parties. “If things don’t get bigger, they never get smaller,” said Tony Naqour, a member of the Free Patriotic Movement who has participated in the protest since it began. Naqour noted that the dismantling of tent city was a victory for Lebanon.

“I had hoped no blood would be shed, as I am against violence,” he said, referring to the hostility in Lebanon early this month, which left over 60 dead. “But what happened, happened, and today’s move will benefit all Lebanese.”

The downtown sit-in has been going on since December 1, 2006, when opposition supporters first set up camp in a bid to bring down Prime Minister Fouad Siniora’s government. The “tent city” transformed a once-bustling area for locals and tourists into a ghost town and inflicted staggering damages on the economy. By late last year, approximately 168 businesses had closed down; seventy cafes and restaurants had closed their doors, and fifteen were only opened on a part-time basis.

However, today, tens of these closed doors began to open. Since the Doha Agreement was announced, Lebanese stocks rose significantly, in particular Solidere, which increased by 15%.

On the street, there was a mood of both jubilation and relief. Speaking from behind the counter at a now bustling Costa Café, 23-year-old Nour Chouman noted a significant shift from the early hours of the morning to the afternoon: “There is finally some movement,” she said optimistically. “A price has been paid to reach where we are today, but let us look forward, rather than backward.”

Sixty-year-old Khodor, a worker at the popular downtown restaurant Scoozi, opened the doors of the restaurant for the first time in a year-and-a-half. “When downtown was shut down, this city lost its heartbeat,” he said. “Now it is back.”

Khodor had started preparations to open the restaurant since Monday, when he sensed that an agreement was going to be reached. “I have seen what war has done to this country,” he noted, “but I have faith in it. Let us now hope for the best.”

As the nation braces itself for what appears to be a new era, with new realities and a new president, the re-opening of downtown seems to be a sign of good things to come – at least in the short term. The feeling may be fleeting, but it has offered a breath of much-needed fresh air to many Lebanese.

http://www.bloggingbeirut.com/images/may08/may21-19S.jpg

http://www.bloggingbeirut.com/images/may08/may21-18S.jpg

http://www.bloggingbeirut.com/images/may08/may21-17S.jpg

http://www.bloggingbeirut.com/images/may08/may21-15S.jpg

http://www.bloggingbeirut.com/images/may08/may21-14S.jpg

http://www.bloggingbeirut.com/images/may08/may21-11S.jpg

http://www.bloggingbeirut.com/images/may08/may21-9S.jpg

http://www.bloggingbeirut.com/images/may08/may21-8S.jpg

http://www.bloggingbeirut.com/images/may08/may21-7S.jpg

http://www.bloggingbeirut.com/images/may08/may21-6S.jpg

Just makes me think, How did these people live there for 18 months !
Beirut Gate will finally get built, cant wait for that.... and umm Landmark will also I guess.

What about Phoencian Village? I really want to see it built...
Jayme, they didn't actually live there all the 18 months. During the day, those 1200 tents were empty!! People went there only at night when this hezbollah "band" played some HZ songs and stuff, or went there to take an argilleh. But I'm sure no one slept, maybe exept the direct Hezbollah members...

^^I really want to see Beirut Gate,Landmark and Phoenician village getting built soon.Especially the beautiful cluster of Phoenician village :)

http://www.nowlebanon.com/Library/Images/MainPagePictures/DT-gen-view.jpg

^^ speechless

After all this time I complety forgot about Phoenician village, Beirut is going to be very busy soon! insted of reading doom and gloom , we will be reading about Tourism and ecomonic growth and other great things.

this fourm might be exciting again... to vist each morning.

BG, oh my mistake, I just thought people were living in the tents.

2:45pm New TV reported that all tents have been removed from down town Beirut and the barbed wire fence protecting the seat of government also has been removed.

Removing the barbed-wire fence around the Grand Serail:

http://www.nowlebanon.com/Library/Images/MainPagePictures/NOW-exclusive-roadsopeneng.jpg

http://www.nowlebanon.com/Library/Images/MainPagePictures/NOW-exclusive-clearingblock.jpg

mabrook to all of us Lebanese, hopefully like one of the colleagues said , nchala we will see a boom of economy and long live our country.

congrats all :)

^^ Thank you, and on that note, I think it is best to close this thread and forget this past crisis as Lebanon enters a new chapter.

:lock: