{"id":43448,"date":"2020-08-07T08:22:51","date_gmt":"2020-08-07T08:22:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/?p=43448"},"modified":"2020-08-07T08:22:51","modified_gmt":"2020-08-07T08:22:51","slug":"protests-as-lebanon-arrests-16-over-beirut-blast-live-updates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/?p=43448","title":{"rendered":"Protests as Lebanon arrests 16 over Beirut blast: Live updates"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"body-200771816342556199\" readability=\"201.90413657255\">\n<ul readability=\"3\">\n<li readability=\"1\">\n<p class=\"speakable\"><span>Lebanese authorities have taken into custody 16 people as part of an investigation into the Beirut port warehouse explosion that shook the capital, state news agency NNA reported.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li readability=\"1\">\n<p class=\"speakable\">The Lebanese government has given an investigative committee four days to determine responsibility for the blast, Foreign Minister Charbel Wehbe told French radio.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li readability=\"1\">\n<p class=\"speakable\">French President Emmanuel Macron\u00a0offered France&#8217;s support for the Lebanese people on a visit to Beirut,\u00a0but said crisis-hit Lebanon would &#8220;continue to sink&#8221; unless its leaders carry out reforms.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-responsive article-embeded-media-img\" title=\"Alia Chughtai\/Al Jazeera\" src=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/mritems\/Images\/2020\/8\/4\/810fb3ce028e41f89c7bfaa6a7f905c4_18.jpg\" border=\"0\" alt=\"INTERACTIVE: Beirut explosion map\"><\/p>\n<p>Here are the latest updates:<\/p>\n<h2>Friday, August 7<\/h2>\n<h3>08:15 GMT &#8211; Tens of thousands sign petition calling for Lebanon to be placed under French mandate<\/h3>\n<p>As<span>\u00a0of Friday 08:15 GMT, a<\/span>t least 58,000 people have signed an online <a href=\"https:\/\/secure.avaaz.org\/community_petitions\/en\/emanuel_macron_place_lebanon_under_french_mandate_for_the_next_10_years_\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">petition<\/a> <span>set up by Lebanese citizens on Wednesday\u00a0<\/span>to &#8220;place Lebanon under a French mandate for the next 10 years&#8221;\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Lebanon\u2019s officials have clearly shown a total inability to secure and manage the country,&#8221;\u00a0the petition reads. &#8220;With a failing system, corruption, terrorism and militia the country has just reached its last breath.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We believe Lebanon should go back under the French mandate in order to establish a clean and durable governance.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>However, other citizens denounced the petition as a means to continue French colonialism.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-partner=\"tweetdeck\" readability=\"7.4391143911439\">\n<p dir=\"rtl\" lang=\"ar\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%86?src=hash&#038;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#\u0644\u0628\u0646\u0627\u0646<\/a>\/ \u0645\u0648\u062c\u0639\u0629 \u062c\u062f\u0627 \u0632\u064a\u0627\u0631\u0629 <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%83%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%86?src=hash&#038;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#\u0645\u0627\u0643\u0631\u0648\u0646<\/a>\u060c \u062e\u0635\u0648\u0635\u0627 \u0643\u0623\u0648\u0644 \u0631\u0626\u064a\u0633 \u062f\u0648\u0644\u0629 \u064a\u0632\u0648\u0631 \u0644\u0628\u0646\u0627\u0646 \u0628\u0639\u062f \u0627\u0644\u0627\u0646\u0641\u062c\u0627\u0631. \u0632\u064a\u0627\u0631\u0629 \u062a\u0624\u0643\u062f \u0627\u0644\u0631\u0627\u0628\u0637 \u0627\u0644\u0627\u0633\u062a\u0639\u0645\u0627\u0631\u064a \u0628\u064a\u0646 \u0627\u0644\u062f\u0648\u0644\u062a\u064a\u0646. \u0632\u064a\u0627\u0631\u0629 \u0645\u0647\u064a\u0646\u0629 \u0644\u062a\u0627\u0631\u064a\u062e\u0646\u0627 \u0648\u062d\u0627\u0636\u0631\u0646\u0627\u060c \u0646\u0646\u0633\u0649 \u0627\u0646 \u0645\u0627 \u064a\u0645\u0631 \u0628\u0647 \u0644\u0628\u0646\u0627\u0646 \u064a\u062a\u062c\u0630\u0631 \u0641\u064a \u0645\u062e\u0644\u0641\u0627\u062a \u0627\u0644\u0627\u0633\u062a\u0639\u0645\u0627\u0631 \u0627\u0644\u0641\u0631\u0646\u0633\u064a\u060c \u0648\u0645\u0627 \u0632\u0631\u0639\u0647 \u0627\u0644\u0627\u0633\u062a\u0639\u0645\u0627\u0631 \u0641\u064a \u0627\u0646\u0641\u0633\u0646\u0627 \u0648\u0648\u062c\u062f\u0627\u0646\u0646\u0627 \u0648\u062b\u0642\u0627\u0641\u062a\u0646\u0627 \u0648\u0631\u0624\u064a\u062a\u0646\u0627. \u0664\/\u0661<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Leil-Zahra Mortada (@LeilZahra) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/LeilZahra\/status\/1291399749967458310?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 6, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><em>Translation: [Emmanuel] Macron&#8217;s visit is very painful, especially as the first head of state to visit Lebanon after the explosion. His visit confirms the colonial link between the two countries, and it is humiliating to our history and our present. We forget that what Lebanon is going through is rooted in the remnants of French colonialism, and what that colonialism has planted in ourselves, our conscience, our culture and our vision.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>07:30 GMT &#8211; Rescuers plough on through Beirut debris as hope fades for survivors<\/h3>\n<div class=\"article-embeded-block-image article-embedded-card fullwidth\" readability=\"31.5\">\n<div class=\"article-embeded-mediaCaption\" data-image-url=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/mritems\/Images\/2020\/8\/7\/c72ea221c0fc444785f018be6750f506_18.jpg\" readability=\"8\">\n<div class=\"article-embeded-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-responsive article-embeded-media-img\" title=\"AFAD starts to search and rescue works at the Port of Beirut- - BEIRUT, LEBANON - AUGUST 06:  (----EDITORIAL USE ONLY MANDATORY CREDIT - \" src=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/mritems\/Images\/2020\/8\/7\/c72ea221c0fc444785f018be6750f506_18.jpg\" border=\"0\" alt=\"AFAD starts to search and rescue works at the Port of Beirut\"><\/div>\n<p>Members of Turkey\u2019s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) start to search and rescue works at the port of Beirut [Anadolu Agency]<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Lebanese rescue workers and army soldiers are struggling to remove huge items of debris in search for possible survivors at Beirut&#8217;s port.<\/p>\n<p>The Lebanese Red Cross believes there are still 100 people missing, most of who were working at Beirut&#8217;s port.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We are doing our best as we are hoping to find people alive and trapped, but all we have found so far are the remains of people beyond recognition,&#8221; said a rescue worker, who said he has been working non-stop for the past 48 hours.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Some foreign countries are sending help, but it might be too late for the people who may still be trapped under the debris,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<h3>06:48 GMT &#8211; Lebanese bride happy to be alive after blast cuts short wedding video<\/h3>\n<p>Israa Seblani, a 29-year-old doctor working in the United States, arrived in Lebanon three weeks ago to prepare for her wedding.<\/p>\n<p>Her bridal photo shoot was cut short and captured the Beirut explosion that took place on Tuesday. Seblani, in her long veil and white wedding dress, helped to check on the injured nearby, before fleeing central Beirut&#8217;s Saifi square to safety.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" readability=\"4.6046511627907\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Video of bride on wedding day in Beirut captures moment massive warehouse explosion ripped through the city <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/ZsH20S4TGt\">pic.twitter.com\/ZsH20S4TGt<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Reuters (@Reuters) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Reuters\/status\/1291037496919261185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 5, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;There is a lot of damage, many people were killed and wounded. But also if I want to look at us, myself, my husband, the photographer &#8211; how we escaped unharmed, I thank God for protecting us.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;This alone makes me feel optimistic and to keep the joy of the occasion that I came here to celebrate.&#8221;<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>Hello, this is <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/LinahAlsaafin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Linah Alsaafin<\/a> in Doha taking over from my colleague <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/profile\/zaheena-rasheed.html\">Zaheena Rasheed<\/a>.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h3>04:19 GMT &#8211; Four Filipinos killed, 31 injured<\/h3>\n<p>At least four Filipinos were killed in the Beirut explosion and two others were in critical condition, according to the Philippines&#8217; Department of Foreign Affairs.<\/p>\n<p>A total of 31 Filipinos were injured in the blast, the office said.<\/p>\n<h3>02:10 GMT &#8211; Beirut resident vents fury at Lebanese leaders<\/h3>\n<p>A Beirut resident has told Al Jazeera live on air why so many are furious with Lebanon&#8217;s authorities after she lost four neighbours in Tuesday&#8217;s explosion.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Our anger will only stop&#8230;if we see those b******* in prison,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n<div data-embed-type=\"Brightcove\" data-embed-id=\"6179030122001\">\n<table class=\"in-article-item video Fullwidth\" border=\"0\">\n<tbody readability=\"1\">\n<tr>\n<td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr readability=\"3\">\n<td readability=\"5\">\n<p>Beirut resident&#8217;s fury at Lebanese authorities (2:25)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<h3>01:47 GMT &#8211; Ex-captain of cargo ship blames Lebanese authorities for blast<\/h3>\n<p>Boris Prokoshev, the former captain of the ship that brought almost 3,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate to Beirut, said Lebanese authorities were &#8220;very well&#8221; aware of the dangers posed by the vessel&#8217;s cargo.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s the government of Lebanon that brought about this situation,&#8221; Prokoshev told The Associated Press news agency from his home in the Krasnodar region of Russia.<\/p>\n<p>His ship, the MV Rhosus, was not supposed to be in Lebanon at all, he said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-embeded-block-image article-embedded-card fullwidth\" readability=\"33\">\n<div class=\"article-embeded-mediaCaption\" data-image-url=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/mritems\/Images\/2020\/8\/7\/85bdd279cf88460b93d061e7192d9b7f_18.jpg\" readability=\"11\">\n<div class=\"article-embeded-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-responsive article-embeded-media-img\" title=\"Boris Prokoshev, a sea captain poses for a photo after his interview with the Associated Press outside Sochi, Russia, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020. When Boris Prokoshev, a sea captain spending his retirement years in a southern Russia village, woke up and found an email saying a ship he once commanded had carried the ammonium nitrate that devastatingly exploded in Beirut, he was astonished. The 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate that blew up in Beirut\u2019s port on Tuesday wasn\u2019t supposed to be in Lebanon at all. It was bound from the Black Sea for Mozambique, but made an unscheduled detour to Beirut and never left there. (AP Photo\/Kirill Lemekh)\" src=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/mritems\/Images\/2020\/8\/7\/85bdd279cf88460b93d061e7192d9b7f_18.jpg\" border=\"0\" alt=\"RUSSIA LEBANON SHIP\"><\/div>\n<p>Boris Prokoshev, a sea captain, poses for a photo after his interview with The Associated Press outside Sochi, Russia [Kirill Lemekh\/ AP]<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>When it set sail from the Georgian Black Sea port of Batumi, the ship was bound for the Mozambiquan port of Beira. But the Rhosus made a stop in Beirut to try to earn extra money by taking on several pieces of heavy machinery.<\/p>\n<p>The machinery proved too heavy for the Rhosus, however, and the crew refused to take it on. The ship was soon impounded by the Lebanese authorities for failing to pay port fees, and never left the port again.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;They knew very well that there was dangerous cargo there,&#8221; Prokoshev said. &#8220;In my opinion, they should have even paid him [the owner of the boat] to take the dangerous cargo, a real headache, out of the port. But they just arrested the ship instead.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h3>00:54 GMT &#8211; EU releases $39m in emergency aid<\/h3>\n<p>The European Union announced the release of 33 million euros ($39m) in emergency aid to Lebanon to help cover the immediate needs of emergency services and hospitals in Beirut.<\/p>\n<p>A donor conference is also planned to mobilise additional funding for reconstruction after an assessment of what is required, an EU source told the AFP news agency.<\/p>\n<h2>Thursday, August 6<\/h2>\n<h3>23:38 GMT &#8211; Tear gas as protesters gather in downtown Beirut<\/h3>\n<p>Security forces have fired tear gas to disperse dozens of anti-government protesters calling for the Lebanese government&#8217;s resignation near the parliament building in Beirut.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The state-run National News Agency (NNA) said protesters set fires, vandalised stores and threw stones at security forces, prompting the officers to use tear gas.<\/p>\n<p>Several people were wounded in the clashes, the agency said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-embeded-block-image article-embedded-card fullwidth\" readability=\"33\">\n<div class=\"article-embeded-mediaCaption\" data-image-url=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/mritems\/Images\/2020\/8\/6\/8495f11eb9504c92982a931a6106b488_18.jpg\" readability=\"11\">\n<div class=\"article-embeded-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-responsive article-embeded-media-img\" title=\"Riot police advance to push back anti-government protesters, during a protest against the political elites who have ruled the country for decades, in Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. (AP Photo\/Hassan Ammar) \" src=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/mritems\/Images\/2020\/8\/6\/8495f11eb9504c92982a931a6106b488_18.jpg\" border=\"0\" alt=\"Protest Lebanon\"><\/div>\n<p>Riot police advance to push back anti-government protesters in Beirut, Lebanon, on August 7, 2020 [Hassan Ammar\/ AP]<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-embeded-block-image article-embedded-card fullwidth\" readability=\"31.5\">\n<div class=\"article-embeded-mediaCaption\" data-image-url=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/mritems\/Images\/2020\/8\/7\/6dfcfd5441ea4863acbab04727e404a7_18.jpg\" readability=\"8\">\n<div class=\"article-embeded-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-responsive article-embeded-media-img\" title=\"Anti-government protesters throw stones and clash with the riot police, during a protest against the political elites who have ruled the country for decades, in Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020. (AP Photo\/Hassan Ammar)  \" src=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/mritems\/Images\/2020\/8\/7\/6dfcfd5441ea4863acbab04727e404a7_18.jpg\" border=\"0\" alt=\"LEBANON\"><\/div>\n<p>Anti-government protesters throw stones and clash with riot police in downtown Beirut [Hassan Ammar\/ AP]<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-embeded-block-image article-embedded-card fullwidth\" readability=\"31\">\n<div class=\"article-embeded-mediaCaption\" data-image-url=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/mritems\/Images\/2020\/8\/7\/b40d74f841564b30b2d12d5d801c8623_18.jpg\" readability=\"7\">\n<div class=\"article-embeded-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-responsive article-embeded-media-img\" title=\"Anti-government protesters throw stones and clash with the riot police, during a protest against the political elites who have ruled the country for decades, in Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020. (AP Photo\/Hassan Ammar)  \" src=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/mritems\/Images\/2020\/8\/7\/b40d74f841564b30b2d12d5d801c8623_18.jpg\" border=\"0\" alt=\"LEBANON protest\"><\/div>\n<p>Anti-government protesters call for the resignation of Lebanon&#8217;s government [Hassan Ammar\/ AP]<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr>\n<p>Hello and welcome to Al Jazeera&#8217;s continuing coverage of the deadly explosion at Beirut port. I&#8217;m Zaheena Rasheed in Male, Maldives.\u00a0<\/p>\n<hr>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lebanese authorities have taken into custody 16 people as part of an investigation into the Beirut port warehouse explosion that shook the capital, state news agency NNA reported. The Lebanese government has given an investigative committee four days to determine responsibility for the blast, Foreign Minister Charbel Wehbe told French radio. French President Emmanuel Macron\u00a0offered&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43448","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-spotlight_news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43448","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=43448"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43448\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=43448"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=43448"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=43448"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}