The Granaries: A Sacred Site and Escalating Actions Ahead

The Association of Families of Victims of the Beirut Port Explosion announced, "We will close the road as a warning measure and we will take escalating actions in the coming days if the government does not take executive steps to protect the southern part of the granaries." They added, "It is our right to be involved in every detail of the decisions and the handling of everything related to the tragedy of August 4. The authorities must respect the granaries as we consider them tombs that preserve the remains of our victims; they are a sacred site and we want to preserve them as a collective memory and on the UNESCO World Heritage List." They further stated, "We hold the authorities responsible for their handling of the granaries and for what they have done, which has resulted in the complete loss of the northern part." They concluded by saying, "The failure to extinguish the fire in the granaries is a deliberate act, and the authorities are passing the responsibility among themselves."