Participants at Opposition Electoral Rally Assaulted in Southern Lebanon

Arab World

April 17th, 4:51am

Beirut - Asharq Al-Awsat

A Bank customer holds a Lebanese flag during a protest outside the Lebanese parliament in downtown Beirut, Lebanon, 13 April 2022. (EPA)

Lebanon continues to prepare for next month's parliamentary elections, with electoral rallies and events being held daily throughout the country. Tensions have been high in some region, especially in the South, between the opposition and traditional powers, notably the Shiite Hezbollah and Amal party. Partisan supporters reportedly assaulted on Saturday people seeking to participate at an elections event in the southern Sarafand region. The opposition "Together towards Change" was holding a rally to unveil its candidates, who would be running in the second electoral district in the South. Ahead of the rally, partisan supporters deployed in the area, leading to tensions that boiled over into shooting at and the assault of the participants, said activists on social media. The opposition candidates accused members of the Amal movement of being behind the attack. The movement, headed by parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, denied the accusation.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3596196/participants-opposition-electoral-rally-assaulted-southern-lebanon