The Municipality of Aqqa, in the Byblos District, strongly condemned "the repeated assaults on tourists visiting the town's tourist attractions, particularly the waterfall and the blue pond, by certain individuals who only represent themselves and seek to impose a reality contrary to the nature of the town." They consider "these shameful behaviors and inhumane and barbaric methods to reflect nothing but ignorance and unawareness, and they do not align with human values, principles, or ethics. These acts are condemned in their entirety and only express the baseness of their perpetrators."
In a statement, the municipality said: "In light of our commitment to enhancing tourism and development in Jurd Byblos and ensuring that tourists enjoy security and comfort, the municipality denounces the insults and assaults on foreign tourists that occurred on June 19, 2024, and calls upon all relevant authorities, especially the ministries of tourism, culture, energy, and water."
They affirmed that this statement serves as a notification to the public prosecution in Mount Lebanon, to instruct all security and military forces to take necessary action to prevent the perpetrators and disruptors of security and order from being present in these areas under any pretext or excuse, in order to preserve the town's overall tourist character and to prevent some individuals from exploiting these locations for private gain and imposing fees and extortions without any legitimate basis.
