Hundreds of protesters, including families of the victims of the 2020 port explosion, protest outside Beirut Justice Palace after investigation suspended

​​BEIRUT – Hundreds of protesters, including relatives of the victims of the Beirut Port explosion, gathered outside the capital’s Justice Palace on Wednesday, demanding accountability following the suspension of the blast investigation.

Here’s what we know so far:

    • “I will feel nothing but pain until there is justice. God give Tarek Bitar strength,” said protester Wafaa al-Zahed, whose son, Amin, died in the explosion.

    • Scuffles briefly erupted between security forces and protesters who attempted to push through the front gates of the Justice Palace. Some threw water and rocks across the gate. Many chanted “Hezbollah are terrorists.” Bitar was reportedly threatened with forcible removal last week by Hezbollah’s security chief, Wafic Safa.

    • Many of the families of the victims opposed the chants and left the protest quickly following the incident, calling for the issue not to be politicized and for the situation to remain calm.

    • However, Zahed said she would not be scared off, along with a few other relatives of the victims who stayed back. “We are staying. We have to stay. It is the only way,” Zahed said.

    • Following the protest, a small group of demonstrators gathered outside the house of MP and former Interior Minister Nohad Machnouk, who had filed the complaint that led to the investigation’s suspension. Some attempted to negotiate with the building’s security to go up to the MP’s apartment. Machnouk was not home.

    • The judge heading the explosion probe, Tarek Bitar, was forced to suspend his investigation on Monday after he was notified of Machnouk’s complaint, which was filed against him last week in the Beirut Court of Appeals. Machnouk was summoned for questioning by Bitar last week.

    • The Beirut explosion probe has dragged on for more than a year, with suspected senior officials repeatedly leveraging legal immunity and bureaucratic technicalities to evade questioning and otherwise resist cooperating with the investigation.

    • Bitar has four cases filed against him, which legal experts have said are little more than an attempt by the political class to stall for time until legislators implicated in the investigation regain immunity from prosecution, when Parliament convenes for its opening session on Oct. 19. If removed, Bitar would be the second judge to be dismissed from the case following a complaint filed by a politician who has been summoned in relation to the probe. Bitar’s predecessor, Judge Fadi Sawwan, was dismissed after two MPs filed a complaint against him to the Court of Cassation, citing “legitimate suspicion” of bias.

    • The devastating 2020 Beirut port explosion killed more than 200 people, wounded thousands and destroyed neighborhoods of the capital.