Assir: bloodshed is near

Sidon’s skies turned black with thick smoke as Nasserite Popular Movement partisans took to the streets Friday to counter-protest Assir’s longstanding sit in.          

Roads were completely cut-off to citizens on the Merjan roundabout with burning tires. Tensions ran high, as ISF members deployed to contain mounting pressure, only intervening when hand-on-hand fights occurred. Protesters carried anti-Assir placards and chanted slogans against him, as shop owners denounced the events unfolding on the ground. Several residents of the area called for the immediate stop of all marches and protests citing that it is leading to the further deterioration of the city.           

Roads were reopened by the fire brigade later on, as protesters relocated elsewhere. The ISF also blocked all roads leading to Assir's camp, to avoid possible confrontation between the two groups.               

For its part, the Lebanese National Council notified Assir of its decision not to his march on Sidon’s seaside road, adding that it has been shut. However Assir and his partisans made their way to the western route of the seaside highway, staging their protest defiantly, only to return minutes later to the protest camp.             

Speaking to LBCI earlier Assir said that his uprising is against arms hegemony, adding that they will resort to the judiciary after yesterday’s armed presence. He threatened that all events which took place against him the night before will be addressed legally, adding that they are similar to that of the May 7th events.         

“We are facing tough choices, either to accept arms hegemony, or civil war, or peaceful opposition. We have chosen the latter,” he stressed.            

He added, that they won’t accept Hezbollah and Amal’s arms; "we’ll protest peacefully and will no longer be silent".                           

In an ensuing interview he raised the pitch, stating that bloodshed is near over the issue of extra state arms.                             

Meanwhile, head of the Nasserite Popular Movement Ousama Saad said that discussions  which had taken place in parallel to the events between him and MP Bahia Hariri, tackled the measures to be adopted in Sidon to protect its stability and security and to prevent chaos form overtaking the city.                          

stressed that most of the parties in the city are opposing this infringement of "citizens' freedom by blocking the city’s main roads". He called on the government to bear its responsibility by protecting the peoples dignity, security and stability.            

For her part, MP Bahia Hariri called on all parties to protect Sidon’s citizens, noting that the government “did not bother sending a delegate to find out the demands of the protesters in the city.”                

Following a meeting with a delegation from the Islamic Group, Hariri noted that she will continue her contacts to prevent chaos from overtaking the city.                       

Assir has defied repeated calls to end his sit-in which has allegedly affected the merchants’ livelihoods and caused congested traffic in the town.                             

Accordingly, this protest along with many other counter-protests was staged to pressure Assir into suspending his sit-it.                              
Assir began his protest against Hezbollah’s “extra-state" arms on June 28 and has repeatedly stressed that he won’t end the sit-in until his demands are met.