A worker erasing, on Jan. 19, 2023, the portrait of one of the victims of the explosion at the port of Beirut on Aug. 4, 2020. (Credit: Joao Sousa)/L'Orient Today)
BEIRUT — Portraits of some of the victims of the Aug. 4, 2020 Beirut port explosion were erased on Thursday evening in the capital's city center, our photographer Joao Sousa reports.
A number of these portraits, drawn by the artist Brady the Black in the wake of the tragedy, had already been removed several months ago.
Workers present at the scene told our photographer that they were asked by the owners of the land on which these posters were hung to erase the portraits with water cannons. They added that these portraits are hung on a private property where renovation works are due to commence soon.
The erasing of the portraits comes several hours after a demonstration organized by relatives of victims in front of Parliament headquarters, in parallel with the holding of an 11th parliamentary session dedicated to the election of a new president of Lebanon. The families present at this sit-in asked MPs who support their cause to join their movement.
Another group of relatives of the victims of the Aug. 4 blast, who disassociated themselves several months ago from the main group, demonstrated in front of the Parliament after the end of the session and called on Judge Tarek Bitar, who is leading the investigation into the tragedy, to relinquish the case.