Anniversary of Rafik Hariri's assassination: Roads closed Saturday

The General Directorate of the Internal Security Forces (ISF) released on Friday a list of roads that will be closed to traffic on Saturday, on the occasion of the 21st anniversary of the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri on Feb. 14, 2005, following the explosion of a booby-trapped van in downtown Beirut.

Specifically, Martyrs' Square and most of its surrounding streets on the downtown side will be closed from midnight Friday night through Saturday, from the Le Gray Hotel at the corner of Weygand Street to the Mohammad al-Amin Mosque.

Parking will also be prohibited from 6 a.m. Saturday, near the Saint-Georges Hotel on the seafront, where a flame-shaped statue has stood since 2008 in memory of the former prime minister.

Traffic will be prohibited from 6 a.m. Saturday in the following areas:

• From the Expatriate Statue toward Weygand Street, with diversion to the Corniche.
• From Georges Haddad Street toward Weygand Street.
• From Damascus Street – al-Mawared turn, with diversion to Beshara al-Khoury.
• From Salim Salam descent toward UNESCO, with a diversion to the Burj al-Murr and Burj al-Ghazal towers.
• From Bab Idriss intersection toward al-Kabushieh and Riyad al-Solh Street (the banking district).
• From the tunnel leading from Riyad al-Solh Square toward Salim Salam descent.
• The entire Emir Bachir Street.

Reacting to the commemoration of Rafic Hariri’s assassination, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berry said, “We mourn him as a statesman, defender of unity and moderation. On the anniversary of his martyrdom, we are called to uphold these principles to preserve Lebanon, to which he dedicated himself.”

Information Minister Paul Morcos wrote on X Friday that Hariri’s “martyrdom was not a fleeting event, but a turning point in the nation’s history, when the will of the Lebanese to remain committed to justice and truth was tested.”

Vice President of the Supreme Shiite Council, Ali Khatib, added: “We mourn the loss of a man of Islamic and national unity, a statesman who fervently defended Lebanon and leveraged the strength of the resistance [Hezbollah] to achieve this goal. On this painful anniversary, we can only reiterate our deep sorrow for this immense national loss and our hope to see his aspiration of preserving Lebanon’s territorial, Islamic, and national unity realized.”