Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi said Monday "this is Beirut's voice and the voice of the Lebanese" as workers removed cement blocks surrounding Parliament's building in Nejmeh Square.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri had ordered earlier on Monday the removal of the security barricades, in response to Mawlawi's demand as newly elected reformist MPs had suggested the removal of the blocs before the upcoming Parliament session.
Finally after 2 years of building walls between the government and the people...
— Marc Fayad (@marcmfayad) May 23, 2022
The wall of shame is being removed.
Stay tuned for more ?#lebanon #beirut #protest #wallofshame pic.twitter.com/0UkvGJOYIH
Mawlawi added that Beirut's Central District is open to everyone, affirming that "Beirut will come back to life."
People gathered to watch the removal of the cement wall that stood for more than three years between the people and the Parliament.
Behind the cement blocs, there are metallic barricades that will also be removed.
"This is a victory for Oct. 17," an activist said as he celebrated the event. "Now the rebels are MPS in the Parliament."
The barricades had been used to prevent protestors from entering Parliament during the revolution.
After more than a dozen of Oct. 17 candidates won in the parliamentary elections, a post circulated on social media saying that the rebels have entered Parliament as MPs.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
