The facade of 'Om,' a bar in Beirut's Mar Mikhael neighborhood, August 24, 2023. (Credit: Mohammed Yassin/L'Orient Today)
BEIRUT — “This is how the country is," said Nadia*, manager at 'Om,' a bar in Mar Mikhael. On Wednesday evening, the bar hosted a drag performance, like it has done countless times before. Unlike other nights, the performance, which featured Lebanese Drag Queens, Latiza Bombé and Emma Gration, did not run as usual. It was stopped short by an attack.
"We won't close, we will open today as usual. We're not afraid of them," Nadia continued, her voice calm. "Them," being the “Jnoud al-Rab,” (Soldiers of God) an extremist Christian gang that has become known for its far-right stance and intimidation. The group was behind the removal of an LGBTQ+ flag in June 2022 in Ashrafieh.
L'Orient-Le Jour spoke to a source close to the “Soldiers of God,” who claimed responsibility for the attack, without hesitation. "They don't have the right to promote deviance, children could have seen them," this source said, in justification of the disruption of the performance.
Police intervention
The day after the attack, Nadia's memories are vivid. "Around 11 pm, about twenty guys came near the bar, shouting. They yelled: 'We are the Soldiers of God!'" she recounted.
Overcome by instinct, Nadia locked the doors of her bar and offered reassurance to customers, telling them to stay inside. "There were a few injured outside, but nothing serious. Fortunately, the police arrived five minutes later and dispersed them."
Nadia and her colleagues then evacuated the customers, little by little, over the span of half an hour. On the other side, is a different interpretation: "If the police hadn't arrived, we would have continued," said the source close to the Soldiers of God.
'Honestly, I don't know what to think anymore'
Drag Queen 'Emma Gration' decided to fight back. "I'm running around, answering journalists and people from the community," she told L’Orient-Le Jour over the phone.
Photo posted on the official Facebook page of the Soldiers of God, September 9, 2022. (Facebook screenshot / Jnoud El Rabb)
"We're looking for the right strategy to respond to what happened. Some are considering organizing a march, but I don't think that's the right solution... Honestly, I don't know what to think anymore."
L'Orient-Le Jour presented Emma Gration with a photo of three Soldier of God members, posted on their official Facebook page on September 9, 2022. "Him, I recognize him. He was there yesterday," she wrote to L'Orient-Le jour.
At the time of this article's publication, the police refused to comment on the attack. The Ministry of Interior has also remained silent. Emma is pleased about one thing: "The support we received right after, which was huge." In a statement posted on X on Thursday, the NGO Helem called on individuals who were assaulted "to get checked, take photos of their bruises, and contact Helem" at 71 916 146.
نشجع الأشخاص الذين تعرضوا لاعتداء جسدي بالأمس في مقهى "Om" على الحصول على تقارير طبية والتقاط الكثير من الصور للكدمات والتواصل مع حلم. نحن نسعى لاتخاذ إجراءات قانونية ضد معتدي الأمس.
— Helem (@HelemLebanon) August 24, 2023
إذا كنت تعرف أي شخص تعرض للهجوم بالأمس، فيرجى المساعدة في نشر الخبر.
خط المساعدة: 71916146
Kataeb MP Nadim Gemayel posted at 10 a.m. on Thursday on X, that "the aggression that occurred yesterday in Mar Mikhael is unacceptable and odious.”
"If there was any disturbance or violation of common decency and security, it's the sole responsibility of the security forces to take necessary measures," he continued. "Our society must remain free, open, and respectful of individual freedoms."
Legal response to a ‘planned attack’
"I'm still trembling," reacted Youssef, a young gay man who had come to watch the show with his partner and three friends. He only wanted to speak on the phone; going out the day after the incident was too difficult for him.
"We all feel threatened. It exhausted, overwhelmed, and worried us. Coming back home with my friends in the car, we had three panic attacks on the way," he explained.
Youssef, one of the show's attendees, recounted the evening to L'Orient-Le Jour. "Right from the start of the show, Emma Gration mentioned that people had come to take photos of them and insult them," he recalled.
"We were calm, everything was fine, Latiza and Emma did the show. At one point, Emma was alone on stage. She started looking out the window, getting worried, she asked the DJ to stop the music," he continued. "We quickly settled the bill, I went out with my friends. Then, we saw ‘Soldiers of God’ everywhere, deployed throughout the street. They were shouting: ‘You have 5 minutes to leave! Hurry up!...’ Their attack was planned, it was obvious," Youssef detailed.
"While fleeing to our car, we saw a guy being beaten up. He was shouting that he was a soldier. We were scared."
Nadia also noted that the assault on her bar "seemed organized" by the attackers. Asked if legal proceedings are being considered, Nadia responded "of course, we will initiate them. But I can't say anything about that at the moment."
*The first name has been changed at the request of the person concerned, for security reasons.
