Beirut: Live ammunition fired at protesters in wake of devastating blast, report finds

Security forces deny using ‘excessive force’ shooting at protesters during 8 August rallies

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Lebanese security forces deployed excessive force by firing live ammunition, metal pellets and rubber bullets at protesters during an anti-government rally in the aftermath of this month’s explosion in Beirut, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said.

In an investigation published on Wednesday, the rights group found that soldiers and police had used “excessive and, at times, lethal force” during the 8 August protests.

After reviewing videos, photos and witness accounts, HRW said protesters, medics and journalists were injured by a combination of live ammunition, metal pellets fired from shotguns, rubber balls or direct fire from teargas cartridges that also affected first-aid stations.

The Lebanese army, the Internal Security Forces (ISF) and the parliamentary police have all separately denied using live ammunition or shooting at people during rallies that took place four days after the blast which destroyed swathes of the Lebanese capital.

When contacted by The Independent on Wednesday, the Lebanese military once again rejected reports that excessive force had been used.

Clashes erupted on 8 August when tens of thousands of furious citizens gathered in downtown Beirut to express their anger at the government’s poor handling of the explosion, as well as corruption and negligence that may have led to it.

More than 180 people were killed and over 6,000 injured in the 4 August blast that was likely caused by thousands of tonnes of poorly stored explosive material catching fire in Beirut’s port.

“Instead of lending a helping hand to fellow Beirutis still digging themselves out of the explosion debris, Lebanon’s security apparatus made a fist and pummelled protesters with shocking amounts of violence,” said Michael Page, HRW’s deputy Middle East director. “Such unlawful and excessive force against mostly peaceful protesters shows the callous disregard of the authorities for their own people.”

The government, which later resigned, was accused of doing little to help citizens who were injured or whose homes and businesses were destroyed in the blast, described by experts as one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in modern history.

Most of the clean-up was manned by volunteers who also helped house many of the estimated 300,000 people that were made homeless.

Anger only mounted when it emerged that port officials, security forces, the president and the prime minister knew about the dangerous stockpile of explosive materials at the port but had apparently done little about it.

On 8 August, protesters gathered at Beirut’s Martyrs’ Square, where demonstrators were largely peaceful, but some threw rocks, fireworks, and molotov cocktails at security forces, HRW said.

Some also looted and burned public and private property. Protesters briefly occupied the foreign, economy, environment, and energy ministries, and the Association of Banks.

The ISF said that one of its members died trying to save people trapped in the Le Gray hotel, while 70 of its members were injured.

The army said 105 soldiers were wounded, including two left in a critical condition.

HRW said the use of violence by some protesters did not justify the use of force by the authorities and urged security forces to open an investigation into the incident.

The New York-based group said security forces had fired live rounds on four occasions. They verified a video showing security forces shooting live rounds at three men as they tried to carry an injured protester to safety.

They also documented security forces using metal pellets – or birdshot – that caused injuries to eyes. HRW said that among the wounded was a health worker who was wearing a medic’s uniform and tending to an injured protester when he was shot.

In another incident, a doctor told HRW they found that a metal pellet had punctured a protester’s heart, resulting in emergency surgery.

A day after the rallies, the Lebanese army said that “none of the soldiers opened fire with live ammunition towards protesters in downtown Beirut”. The ISF also denied firing “live ammunition” and rubber bullets at protesters.

Even before this month’s blast, Lebanon had already witnessed nationwide protests over an unprecedented financial crisis rooted in decades of chronic mismanagement and corruption.

The explosion has only worsened the economic collapse and impacted the country’s ability to handle the coronavirus pandemic.

Last Friday, Lebanon imposed a two-week lockdown as the case number reached new highs, with infections doubling in the weeks after the blast.

Lebanon’s prime minister, Hassan Diab, said on Wednesday that the country was at risk of losing its control of the outbreak.