Governor allows Hezbollah to gather at Raouche, but without lighting up the Rocks

BEIRUT — The governor of Beirut, Marwan Abboud, authorized Hezbollah on Wednesday to hold a rally Thursday on the corniche facing the rocks at Raouche, as part of commemorations for the assassination of its former leader Hassan Nasrallah during last year's war against Israel.

However, he did not grant permission for the iconic rocks to be illuminated or for images to be projected onto them, including portraits of Nasrallah and of Hashem Safieddine, who was considered his likely successor.

An official within the Beirut governorate confirmed to L'Orient Today, on condition of anonymity, that "an artistic association close to Hezbollah submitted an official request to Abboud on Wednesday to organize a gathering that would include patriotic songs, religious hymns and chants on the corniche.

The governor of Beirut granted permission for this gathering, but did not authorize the lighting of the rocks, based on a commitment made by the organizers." According to media reports, any projections would be vertical, directed toward the sky.

In comments to the news site Lebanon Debate, Abboud said "he authorized the gathering at Raouche, but did not authorize the lighting of the rocks at the site, which means it will be purely a symbolic gathering." L'Orient Today attempted several times to reach the governor on Wednesday but was unsuccessful.

For Hezbollah, spokesperson Youssef Zein told our publication that "authorization has been obtained for the activities to take place on the corniche." But he explained that the party is "still awaiting" permission for the illumination of the Raouche rocks. However, he stressed that "in any case, the activities will be held at a minimum on the corniche."

Hezbollah's media office said Wednesday the party "has not issued any statement [today] regarding its planned activities Thursday at Raouché."

For the record

Outcry in Beirut over Hezbollah plan to project Nasrallah’s image on Raouche Rock

Hezbollah had announced on Sept. 16 that there would be 18 days of ceremonies, from Sept. 25 to Oct. 12, to commemorate the assassination of Nasrallah, killed in a massive Israeli raid on Beirut's southern suburbs on Sept. 27, 2024, as well as Safieddine, who was assassinated in the same way a few days later.

According to the program, the event scheduled for Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at Raouche is expected to begin with the arrival of boats off the site. At 6:20 p.m., the Lebanese national anthem and that of Hezbollah will be played by the Imam al-Mahdi Scouts orchestra.

At 6:30 p.m., religious songs in honor of Nasrallah and Safieddine are on the schedule. At 6:50 p.m., the Raouche Rocks are supposed to be lit in the colors of the Lebanese flag, to be followed at 6:55 p.m. by projections of the two leaders' portraits, then at 7 p.m. by the display of the slogan: "We are loyal to our commitment."

Lebanese-style compromise

This issue has divided public opinion and political officials for several days. The choice of the Raouche Rocks, located in a predominantly Sunni district of Beirut, sparked a public outcry and fears of street tensions.

Many voices were raised against what they saw as Hezbollah's attempt to assert itself in the public space without going through legal channels.

On a similar topic

'I'd come even from the ends of earth': Prayers and testimonies at Hassan Nasrallah's mausoleum

The governor's decision comes as Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Monday issued a circular reminding that the use of public spaces and heritage sites requires prior authorization. A

ccording to al-Jadeed TV, contacts between the Speaker of Parliament and Amal Movement leader (Hezbollah's ally), Nabih Berri, and Nawaf Salam resulted in the current compromise.

Last February, Hezbollah used Beirut's Sports City to hold public funerals for Nasrallah and Safieddine. The use of that public space generated considerable criticism. It is unclear whether the Shiite party had received authorization from authorities to use the Sports City for that event.