This is bad, very very bad

I've been meaning to sum up what happened starting yesterday and uptill now, but I just can't seem to focus. I can sincerly say, I am scared.

Now that its is being screamed from the top of the roofs that yesterday was a well orchestrated subordination. While the Labors Syndicate Union decided to halt their demonstration and postpone it to another time, the opposition continued their subordination!
The union said that the government was not ready to protect them. What the Union failed to mention was that the ones who closed their roads was the opposition. I believe, the army did a fine job considering the danegrous individuals they were dealing with.

The union, could've done a normal demonstration taking place in one sole location, holding some whiteboards with few slogans on them. But no, they decided to paralyze and open up the opportunity for others to paralyze the capital. Slogans and peaceful gathering were few yesterday. Yes, there were few innocent people really asking and demonstrating against the government for a better living.

After that, the opposition continued to close roads, and the infamously airport road. Many flights were cancelled, no flights departed from Lebanon except empty airplanes. The people who arrived yesterday waited and sat on the ground, some who insisted on leaving the airport had to cross on foot a couple of meters with the help of the army.

Ladies and Gentlemen, we the Lebanese, are being dissected and torn apart by two major evil forces, the Haririst and the Hezbollah!

The coming days will unveil the upcoming war, not necessarily a typical civil war which we are used to, but when RPGs, Snipers and bombs are used in a supposedly "peaceful" demonstration, then it is an ugly battle taking place to say the least.

Uuntil now, some of the Future movement members have closed the road in Saadneyil and also in Masnaa, which is the crossing border between Lebanon and Syria in response to the closing of the road to the airport by Hezbollah. The first, claimed that once the airport road is open, they will open the roads on their ends.

What is funny, is how Tayyar.org refers to Future movement members as "Militia" (which maybe they are), but fails to calls the Hezbollah ones (who are doing exactly the same thing, even though they started it, but it's irrelevant at this moment) militias as well.

Congratulations to propaganda, stupidity and cowardness of the Lebanese people.

Israel closed down our aiport in July 2006, and now Hezbollah closes down the same airport in May 2008.

P.S. When Hezbollah was accused of using spy cameras on the road to the airport, they said if anyone removes those cameras are spies for Israel! Seriously?
Moreover, I don't want to be terrorized into doing or believing something, and at this point Hezbollah is terrorizing the government and the people into succumbing into their own demands.

Kudos for all the political parties for ruining Lebanon just when I thought it couldn't get worse.

Students return to Lebanese university

By ZEINA KARAM, Associated Press Writer

BEIRUT, Lebanon - Classes resumed Monday at a university in the heart of Beirut where a cafeteria political spat mushroomed into street riots that killed four people in the worst sectarian violence since Lebanon's civil war.

[...] Campus security guards searched all students at the entrance and denied access to those without student IDs.

At the Lebanese University, [...] "We stressed the importance of saving the academic year," Shukur told The Associated Press, adding that he had urged students to leave their political feelings outside the university.

Click here to read full article.

It was a good decision called by the Lebanese University to close for 10 days until things calm down, things did calm down, the atmosphere is tense but calm (in and out of the university).

Of course, we would like to thank all the political leaders in advance for ruining this atmosphere pretty soon, call me optimistic.

Almost 7 years ago, I addressed almost a hundred students, the student body and students who are leaders of their in-house faculty political party, telling them that politics (the Lebanese politics) should not be present in universities. The thing is, the elections that take place is based on the political preference and not academic, services and logistics performance on the runners.

Political preference elections in all Lebanese University faculties end up in fights and problems, but really, for what? It's majorly ridiculous and useless.

They say that the university is nothing but a representation of what is going on in the country. I tend to disagree, the university is supposed to shape a person's mind into becoming a better person and not a lousy one like most of our politicians.

Anyway, I just wanted to say now: "I told you so!"

"You reap what you sowed."

Day 1 of the opposition escalation

5 Deaths.
More than 100 wounded.

Is it worth it?

Update: Roads Status

The Lebanese Army has been working on opening the highway in Nahr El Mot, in both direction to and from Beirut, while until this hour they still aren't letting cars passing, not before they make sure it is safe. The Lebanese Army received orders for this job around 2pm.

More roads in Keserwan have been opened. While in Jbeil, proud protestors took pictures of themselves throwing a tire into the already burning tires.

The Lebanese opposition still insists that today's strike was only peaceful and civil, and not only till the Pro-Government supporters and the Lebanese Forces have come problems started.

Until this hour, no word from Nasrallah about the situation and today's events.

In Batroun, clashes occured between Lebanese Forces supporters and Marada supporters, while one of the latter shot another Lebanese Forces supporter who is seriously injured. Until now, the Army was able to break the two groups, however the road is still closed.

Until now, more than 15 persons got injured in today's clashes, from both groups.

The Airport is still blocked, no aerial movement, few people were able to get out of the airport walking, those who arrived to Lebanon today are stuck inside, few airport workers were able to arrive to the airport, and until now, the road to the airport is still closed.

Update: Smog near Airport and throwing stones

- Around 11am, I received this picture from my cousin in Kfaraaka in North Lebanon.


- 11:25am Near the Airport perimeter, tires burning and smog rising in the sky prohibiting travellers from arriving to the airport.




- 11:30am Near Al Mazraa region, opposition supporters were throwing stones at the army, and the habitants of the region are answering back with throwing stones as well.




P.S. Again with a phone call to LBC, Franjieh repeated that today's protest is civil and peaceful. (No comment, watch the pictures).

Photos & Updates of today`s Escalation and Smog

Dear Reader,

This album of today's photos will keep being updated as soon as I see anything new.

L

p.s. Newest photos taken in the Horizon of Dekwaneh, I am pretty sure near Dallas Gas Station.



This one is in the Industrial City in Sid El Bouchrieh (or in the area)



And the rounded building is The Lebanese University, Faculty of Sciences II.


Edited: To view pictures from inside the protests and tire burning, click here.

Update:

• - 10:00am People who are travelling today, are going walking to the airport according to Al-Arabiyyah


• - 10:20am Most Schools and Universities have closed their doors today


• - ~10:30am Military Police is now on the ground, as re-enforcements to the Lebanese Army


• - ~10:30The army has opened the road going to Beirut, but not the one going from Beirut, and people are stuck in their cars immobile.


• - 11:03am In Al Koura, Miryata and Zgharta, some gun fire occured against some protestors of Al Marada and FPM (after some provocations) resulting some injured persons who have been moved to a near hospital


• - 11:05am Some arab airlines have reschedule flights going from and to Lebanon, to another day because of the General Strike called upon by the Opposition


• - 11:08am Franjieh described today's protests civilized (isn't he watching the TV?)


• - 11:50am One casualty so far


• - 11:50am Armed Lebanese Forces and Phalange supporters went to the gathering in Nahr el Mot near Jdeideh, resulting with 1 injured from the opposition

Regular day or Pollution day?

Personally, I woke up at probably 6 a.m., staying in bed and listening to the road's noise. Usually, I hear a lot of honking, School bus engines, and normal engines. Unlike today, I heard one engine every once in a while, maybe one school bus, and barely any honking (something very strange for Lebanon). I decided to finally get out of bed at 8 a.m. So I went straight to the balcony, and I saw this:



I put on the TV, LBC of course, as Future TV is always in denial, and New TV too biased, and no need to say what Al Manar is. They were reporting live from Nahr El Kalb, basically everyone coming from Jounieh, Zouk, Jbeil, Keserwan, any place from the north to the Capital Beirut, cannot make it. This is the main entrance!

Drove to work, everything was smooth, there is a college beside us, so there were 5 or 6 groups of 5 to 10 people standing in corners. I arrived to work, and my first joy was finding a place to park my car so near. The bank that is in the center where my job's office is, is empty, only 8 people or so were there, gathering together and laughing, probably about how awkward for a bank to be empty.



I arrived the work and took some pictures where you can see in the horizon the smoke of the fire caused by burning wheels in order to block roads. It's a 360 degree view.

Click here to view more horizons filled with smoke.

Update from Sawt Al Ghad Radio Station

Right now, I am litening to the radio "Sawt Al Ghad", that some assaults have occured in Keserwan while the General Forces did not interfere, and the victims have been taken to Notre Dame of Lebanon hospital. As for Batroun, Shekka and Tripoli, the highway from Batroun to Shekka is closed on both ends (only road), some inside roads in Tripoli have been closed too.

Sleiman Franjieh thinks it's a normal day, and that this step was not what they have wished for, but it needed to be done, and more escalation will occur. He also pointed that the Lebanese Army should provide protection, and only protection from the "naughty" Lebanese Forces political party.

Franjieh continued, that if the government doesn't comply, the protest today will continue to more days.

In Matn, Public Schools and Universities have closed their doors, after some students have shown up, in order to protect their students. Some faculties such as The Sciences and Literature, their student bodies have declared support to the opposition and close the doors.

Zalka is basically closed, roads from Jounieh is closed as protesters have blocked the main entrance to the capital which is Nahr El Kalb.

Near the Lebanese National Museum, apparently many opposition supporters have answered their leaders call and went down to protest in that area.

Between Zgharta and Tripoli, the roads have been blocked due to burning wheels.

In Jbeil, the General Forces have tried to bring down from the protestors enthousiam, however it is not affecting the protestors.