Picture by Joanna
Jal el Dib residents blocked the highway on both ways and the maritime road as well today after the 1-month deadline they gave the government to approve the construction of a new bridge expired. Traffic due to the protest was unbelievable today and reached Tabarja. Roads were re-opened around 9am.
I am usually against protests that may disrupt people’s daily routines, but I for once believe Jal el Dib residents should keep on protesting until their demands are met, because the removal of that bridge has disrupted their lives and those living in Jal el Dib’s surrounding areas and it is unfair that they only suffer.
This is not a protest for lowering gas prices or releasing political prisoners, but a protest related to roads and traffic and the isolation and discrimination of a whole area due to the incompetence of our current government and local authorities. In fact, Jal el Dib residents have to suffer everyday what we suffered for one day, so it’s ok if we sympathize with them one day every week until they get a new bridge.
On a last note, I hope Jal el Dib residents will hold accountable their representatives in the upcoming parliamentary and municipal elections and pave the way for other Lebanese to do the same.
PS: If the government has a problem financing this bridge, I suggest they take out 5% of the 400$ million dollars they are planning to pay Fattoush for his illegal business.
for your information the representatives of Metn are with the demands of Jal el Dib residents.
Who are they?
Just read some news, you will notice what Nabil Nkoula is saying about Jal el Dib bridge, he fully supports building it.
There’s less traffic without the bridge! Let the gov expend the road infront of the Nahr El Mot bridge so two lanes lead to it instead of one and the traffic problem will be solved! (but apparently Mobili top has a stron wasta so they can’t take a metre from his parking, knowing he has an underground one so he doesn’t really need it…)
it’s ok if we sympathise?? as elie said, i’ve witnessed less traffic without the bridge. i wish people would mobilize like this for more urgent needs like high prices of bread or gas.
If you are coming towards Zalka, Jal el Dib, Bsalim, Byekout etc then you are in for a lot more traffic.
You need a bridge there whether we like it or not. It’s selfish to say we have less traffic if we don’t use the bridge and u can’t do anything anymore about Nahr el Mot.
I suggest you try go to Jal el Dib in the morning and tell me how much time it takes you with and without a bridge 🙂
When I was there two weeks back I also noticed traffic was a lot less. The residents are not blockaded in their area, they can still u-turn under the bridge before or after jal el dib.
I disagree. Us sympathizing with them will do nothing. If they need to pressure someone, it’s the government not the people.
If they really have the balls, let them go and block the road to some deputy’s house. Or to the parliament.
They are the people taking the decisions no? Otherwise they are just harming people for nothing.
Exactly, the govt. doesn’t care if a lot of people get stuck in traffic jams. This will do nothing for their cause, except maybe make people oppose the construction of a new bridge!
Protest in a smart way, not in ways that will not benefit you.
i wish they protest like this for bread, gas and electricity also and yes let them block the road to the parliament let them feel how it is to get stuck in traffic
against!
Jeser el Dora deyman fadeh min ba3do w 3aj2a ablo!
Medreh leh kill el 3alam bet7eb tkhafif abel ma totla3 3al jeser!
i got stuck in traffic today for 2 hrs!!it was hell!
there’s less traffic without the bridge!!
jal dib people dont need the damn bridge the nahrl mot bridge is 1km away its not the end of the world if they drove 1 extra minute to take that bridge back!the same goes for the antelias bridge too..
besides building a bridge in jal dib will cause unbearable traffic jam for the next 2-3yrs until they finish building it…its not worth it!
The only thing that has really changed is that people have to drive the incredibly far distance to the Antelias bridge to turn towards Beirut. Boo hoo.
Preventing regular people from getting to work and school on time doesn’t bring any sympathy to the cause. What if there was a medical emergency and an ambulance couldn’t get past? Police should have let them make a point for 10 minutes and clear them out of the way.
This is yet another manifestation of the lack of civic sense in our fair country – as long as I’m ok, who cares about you?
Agreeing with comments above, let them go and close the road to parliament or the baladiyeh and see what happens.
As for arguileh boy in the road….well, wrong on so many levels I don’t know where to start.
They should also go and demonstrate in front of Ghazi Aridi’s house in Beirut, or Najib Mikati.
As for the money, the funds are available.
Najib it amazes me how you make some political statements which show how biased and misinformed you are sometimes. This is sad for a blog that I like, so to make things straight and after some researches and studies as a lawyer on that issue in the past, please allow me to describe some facts. Fattoush won the case during Rafiq hariri’s government in 2005. Until 2009 the amount became 400 mio because of interests for late payment by the government, but this did not hinder him from running for Zahleh’s elections along 14 March and especially with Kataeb’s list.
Rafiq Hariri gave fattoush 50 yrs license incredible one), and it was him who closed the quarry, it was under his government that the judgment for compensation was issued, it was Hariri’s and Saniora’s governments who did not pay the original 200 mio which raised the compensation amount to what is now 400 mio after the interests aggregatedThere is another hidden face for this case related about Fattoush’s taxes but that’s another complicated issue). I think you are right. someone should be accountable for misgoverning the country but it is not who you thought it was.
You want another scandal?? go search for how Kharafi, the company operating the airport’s parking won a multi-hundred millions arbitration case against the Lebanese government also during hariri’s government and how they immediately paid him, and how it was because Lebanese government did not efficiently prohibit parking on the roads next to the airport.
Razor,
Who said I am making political statements here and blaming only this government for the Fattoush thing? I know all about the Fattoush thing and I don’t necessarily agree with previous governments as well and know all about their mistakes but as far as I know, Rafic Hariri was assassinated and it is Mikati who’s the PM now.
The Fattoush money need a legal decision to go through and can be cancelled out by the government like many other things. If Hariri f***** up few years back in this issue, that doesn’t mean we should keep on doing the wrong. Let them issue a law to cancel out this license and deprive this man from stealing more money.
“I think you are right. someone should be accountable for misgoverning the country but it is not who you thought it was.”
I didn’t think at all. I blame the current PM for accepting to deal with others’ mistakes. We can’t keep throwing the blame on previous governments can we? Out of experience with all governments, you can cancel out whatever you want if you r willing to do so. Don’t forget the Jeita scandal as well with Fattoush.
I know all about scandals, specially the money for the 2006 war, the St.Georges issue with Solidere, Solidere as a whole you name it ..
Like I said and I always say, my aim through such posts is to promote accountability regardless of all politics because I don’t care about either sides but want people should realize they should hold those responsible accountable.
Razor it is so obvious you are not making any political hints…In that stead please tell me who was the mastermind behind the Hariri governments and who called the shots from Anjar…and the moment Hariri refused to coalesce he was assassinated.
Now I am stating this without having any political affinity or having done any research:D
Jeff,
Don’t really like to discuss the whole Hariri political performance because that would be just a point a view. I am here to discuss facts and not points of views and was being specific about Fattoush case and I hinted to another businessman’s scandal involving Hariri’s government. These subject cases are completely irrelevant to what you are pointing to. It was a pure white collar’s (mafia to make it clear)crime and can never be justified or excused.
@Najib, I am happy that things are clearer. However, I do not agree with your opinion on how we should deal with previous governments. Previous governments, ministers, presidents and MPs have immunity until they leave office. If we spread this culture of non accountability, then we would be drifting to the abyss (yes more than where we are right now) because the results of their crimes (and not “mistakes” as you call it) are translated into debts and obligations and are inherited by the current and future governments. With your logic, we should make the current and future governments liable for the mistakes committed by previous governments. Believe me, then no one would like to take the job of PM (except someone who is sure that he won’t be accountable for some reason).
what I notice here is that these are basics in a democracy and there wouldn’t be two opinions about it, yet in Lebanon, we prefer following our instincts even though we are committing a self destruction. (this is a Lebanese trait that foreign intelligence agencies know very well)
The razor,
It is a fact that since 1992; all governments in Lebanon were made in Syria and every aspect of it controlled by its governors in Anjar and Damascus. Now these are not matter of opinion. Those governments and the presidents who sat in their meetings were all herded like sheeple to accept the decisions made somewhere else.
As for Democracy…All laws should be applied evenly. Do these laws or democratic principles apply evenly to let’s say: Hassan Nassrallah; Berri; Jumblat; Aoun; Geagea…You get the pont; right? Has anyone audited any of the political parties annual financial statements?