Relatives of the victims of the explosion at the port of Beirut protest against the destruction of the silos, April 14, 2022. (Credit: Matthieu Karam)
BEIRUT — About thirty relatives of the Aug. 4, 2020 Beirut port blast victims gathered Thursday near the port, in front of the grain silos damaged during the blast, to protest their demolition, which was approved by the cabinet the same day.
Here’s what we know:
• William Noun, brother of firefighter Joe Noun who was killed in the catastrophe, indicated that the families are “working with the Order of Engineers to present a project in order to preserve the silos’ structure.”
• While there was a police presence, the sit-in proceeded peacefully without road blockages or tensions.
• The relatives oppose the demolition on grounds that it is the authorities' attempt to erase the memory of the tragedy before justice takes its course. On Thursday, cabinet charged the Council for Development and Reconstruction with demolishing the silos after examining a technical report prepared by the firm Khatib & Alami. While preliminary approval for the demolition had been given bythe cabinet, Culture Minister Mohammad Mortada had previously classified the silos as historical monuments in order to preserve them. However, this decision was reversed, giving the go-ahead for the demolition.