Three years after one of history’s largest non-nuclear explosions devastated Beirut, Lebanon, hundreds of protesters joined victims’ families in demanding justice. Despite the passage of time, no one has been held accountable for the tragedy, with political and legal obstacles hindering the investigation.August 4, 2020, witnessed a colossal explosion at Beirut port, obliterating large parts of the Lebanese capital and resulting in over 220 fatalities and at least 6,500 injuries.
Authorities stated that the catastrophe was initiated by a fire in a warehouse, which had been carelessly housing a substantial stockpile of ammonium nitrate fertilizer for several years.
Three years later, the investigation remains practically stagnant, leaving survivors still longing for answers.
Protesters, donning black attire and clutching pictures of the victims, marched towards the port, chanting slogans such as: “We will not forget.”
Tania Daou-Alam, 54, a protester who lost her husband in the explosion, declared, “Our pain fuels our determination to seek the truth.”
She added, “The absence of justice is a stark testament to the pervasive corruption in Lebanon, and we can no longer endure it.”