The headquarters of the Beirut municipality (right), in the center of the capital. Illustrative photo (Credit: Anwar Amro/Archives AFP)
Young people burned tires and fired shots into the air early Saturday afternoon in the Aisha Bakkar area of west Beirut, to celebrate the release of an individual who had been arrested the previous day by State Security for "political provocations," the state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported. A security source confirmed the report to L'Orient-Le Jour.
The incident caused panic in the area, according to the news agency.
The accused, identified by the initials M. Z., was arrested on Friday evening "after an altercation against a backdrop of political provocation," according to the NNA. A State Security source confirmed this information to L'Orient-Le Jour, adding that arrested individual was involved in "political activities," without specifying for which party, and that his friends had briefly wreaked havoc in the neighborhood upon his release on Saturday.
On social networks, some internet users blamed the incident on a visit by Baha' Hariri, the eldest son of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, to Beirut this week. Baha' Hariri is at loggerheads with his brother, former Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who has a strong popular base in the Sunni districts of Beirut.
However, contacted by L'Orient-Le Jour, a spokesman for Baha' Hariri denied these rumors and said he was not aware of the causes of the incident. A spokesman for Saad Hariri's Future Movement denied any involvement by his party in the affair.
An official from the Amal Movement, which is also present in the western Beirut neighborhoods, said he was not aware of the incident.
This article was originally published in French on L'Orient-Le Jour.