Two advertising posters depicting a "new era for Lebanon" were set on fire on the road to Beirut airport, in the southern suburbs of the capital, on April 11, 2025. (Credit: Gabriel Blondel/L'Orient-Le Jour)
As soon as they were installed, they were vandalized. Two newly erected advertising billboards on the road to Beirut airport were set on fire Wednesday night. Freshly placed the day before their damage, these posters have been overlooking for a few days a significant section of the highway connecting the city center to the airport, specifically between Tahouitet al-Ghadir and the Camille Chamoun Sports Stadium in the southern suburbs. They feature an aerial view of the Bay of Jounieh (Keserwan) with a large Lebanese flag and the slogan "A New Era for Lebanon."
The incident stirred Lebanese social media, as this advertising campaign replaced portraits of the former secretary-general of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, and other figures of the party and the pro-Iranian “axis of resistance.” Many internet users highlighted the “victory” of “cleaning” the airport road “of Iranian presence,” expressing satisfaction with now seeing banners “representing Lebanese national identity.” “They can burn the banners, but not the idea ... and we will raise them again!” exclaimed one internet user.
'This campaign is not political'
On-site, the two charred posters still lie on both ends of the bridge over the highway, officially called Hafez al-Assad Road, connecting two parts of Burj al-Barajneh, near Maramel Street. The ashes and metal rods left on the ground beyond the safety rail indicate the recency of the fire.
Contacted by L’Orient-Le Jour, the agency owning these billboards, Aim Media, wanted to downplay the political nature of the incident, indicating that the removal of banners bearing the party's colors was due to the “expiry of the contract” with Haret Hreik, which occurred “a week after the funerals” of Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine on Feb. 24.
“The management steadfastly denies removing photos for political reasons and reaffirms pride in having displayed portraits of the greatest martyr His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah ... This campaign is a show of support for the era of President Aoun, who hopes to fight corruption and protect Lebanon from any danger. These boards, when installed, contained no political advertisements,” the company, based in the southern suburbs of Beirut, responded.
The company specified that “several Lebanese companies have advertised on these same boards before this campaign was displayed.”
“After the expiration of this contract, the company began accepting new campaigns, as usual,” said the legal department of the agency. To support its point, Aim Media recalls having broadcast the campaign “Shoukran Qatar” (“Thank you, Qatar” in Arabic) during the reconstruction funded largely by the Gulf emirate following the previous war between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006. In 2012, posters honoring Pope Benedict XVI also appeared at the same location to celebrate his visit to Lebanon, as well as photos of the late Prime Minister Rafik Hariri accompanying the commemoration of his assassination every Feb. 14.
Approval from General Security
When questioned on the matter, Aim Media did not wish to disclose the identity of the sponsor of this campaign, stating that it was “an advertising agency working in this field.” The company noted that the poster was submitted for “approval from General Security and the municipality of the concerned area to avoid provoking the residents of neighboring districts.”
Contacted by L'Orient-Le Jour, the municipality of Burj al-Barajneh, where the billboards in question are located, did not respond to requests for comment. “The two damaged boards will be reprinted, and the campaign will last until the end of April, unless an extension is requested,” stated the legal service of Aim Media.
This new controversy comes amid a time where the disarmament of Hezbollah is increasingly becoming a heated topic in Lebanese political debate, following the recent conflict between Israel and the party, from which the latter emerged weakened. Foreign Minister Joe Rajji reiterated on Wednesday that the Lebanese government was “clearly informed that no international aid nor reconstruction will occur without the exclusivity of weapons in the hands of the state north and south of the Litani.”
Several Hezbollah officials have publicly stated that the party is “open to any internal dialogue process initiated by the Lebanese state within the framework of a national defense strategy,” as stated on Friday by MP Ali Fayad.
This article was originally published in French in L'Orient-Le Jour.