BEIRUT — A boat parade took place Friday at the fishermen's port in Saida, in southern Lebanon, marking the 50th anniversary of the assassination of former MP Maarouf Saad.

The event commemorated his death on March 6, 1975, during a fishermen’s protest — an incident some view as a key catalyst for the outbreak of the Lebanese Civil War less than a month later, on April 13.

In his speech, Oussama Saad, the late politician's son, current MP for Saida and head of the Popular Nasserite Organization, honored the fishermen’s enduring loyalty to his father’s legacy.

He also urged the government to address the social and security rights of fishermen and called for the reopening of the investigation into his father’s assassination, demanding accountability for those responsible and a clearer understanding of the events that led to the civil war.

The boats, decorated with portraits of the assassinated Saad, Lebanese and Palestinian flags, and banners of the Popular Nasserite Organization, sailed through the port as national songs filled the air.

Maarouf Saad, a prominent advocate for Saida's fishermen, was fatally shot during the protest. His death remains a symbol of the tensions that would soon lead to Lebanon's civil war.