Ceremony and march in Beirut to commemorate Aug. 4 explosion

On the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the Aug. 4, 2020 Beirut Port explosion, a commemoration program is planned Monday in the Lebanese capital, combining a religious ceremony and public mobilization, according to a statement from the association of families of the victims of the explosion.

A Mass will be held at 11:30 a.m. at Saint George Maronite Cathedral in downtown Beirut, celebrated by Patriarch Bechara Rai, in the presence of Beirut Archbishop Boulos Abdel Sater.

In the late afternoon, a public march will take place from two starting points: Martyrs' Square and the Beirut Fire Brigade barracks in Qarantina. The two processions will meet at 5:30 p.m. in front of the Emigrant Statue at the entrance to the port, for a commemorative stop during which a tribute will be paid to the victims.

The Beirut Port explosion claimed the lives of 235 people, injured more than 7,000 others and destroyed a significant part of the capital. Five years later, those responsible for the explosion — which involved huge amounts of ammonium nitrate improperly stored at the port — still have not been brought to justice. The latest development: former prosecutor general at the Court of Cassation, Judge Ghassan Oueidat, did not appear Monday at a scheduled interrogation session before Court of Justice Investigative Judge Tarek Bitar, who had summoned him as part of his investigation.