The families of the victims of the Beirut port explosion will not stand alone today in their demand for justice, three years after the largest non-nuclear explosion that shook the world, devastated half of the Lebanese capital, and resulted in over 235 casualties and thousands of injuries. Alongside them, thousands of Lebanese in Lebanon, including expatriates spending their holidays there and those in their countries, will gather, shocked not only by the magnitude of the explosion and its aftermath but also by the lack of progress in the investigations three years after this crime.
In Beirut, families and a large number of citizens will gather at 4 PM Beirut time in front of the Fire Brigade and will proceed at 5:30 PM towards the port, holding portraits of the victims and flowers. They will observe a minute of silence at 6:07 PM, followed by a speech on behalf of the families of the victims, martyrs, the wounded, and those affected by the August 4th explosion.
Prior to the Beirut action, a vigil will take place at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, at 6 AM Rio time, where a large number of Lebanese will gather holding flowers, candles, and a banner with the names of all the victims, and this event will be broadcasted by major Brazilian media. The vigil is organized by the Lebanese Consulate General in Rio, the Union of Lebanese Brazilian Clubs, and the Lebanese Brazilian Cultural Academy, which includes cultural figures of Brazilian origin from Lebanon.
From Brazil to France, a large gathering will be held at Trocadéro Square in Paris from 3 PM to 5 PM, called by the Lebanese-French Coordination Committee. Other French cities will witness similar gatherings in support of achieving justice.
It is noted that additional gatherings will take place in European, American, and Canadian countries, including Berlin and Los Angeles. In Canada, a series of masses will be held for the victims of the port explosion, the injured, and their families, at the invitation of the head of the Mar Maroun parish in Canada, Bishop Marwan Tabet.
