BEIRUT: Residents across Tripoli, Sidon, Beirut and Tyre gathered near Lebanon's coast Sunday as an NGO that calls itself Beirut Celebrations attempted to form a human chain stretching from the northern city of Tripoli down to the southern city of Tyre.
In Beirut, a mass of people gathered near the Al Hammam Al Aaskary on the capital’s seaside road. Tourism Minister Michel Pharaon, who attended the event alongside local officials, said that “the Lebanese should have faith in the civil society [sector] despite the deadlock in [state] institutions.”
Lebanon’s Civil Defense, Internal Security Forces, and Lebanese scouts were also a part of the Beirut chain that stretched across the Manara coastal road.
According to Beirut Celebration’s website, the "Holding Hands" campaign serves to “unite the Lebanese at large,” as people from coast to coast come together.”
In an interlocked stretch, a throng of citizens gathered along the length of Tripoli’s seaside road, from near the Mina municipality to the Arab University campus which is over 8 km away.
The attendees launched a march near Tripoli’s municipality towards the Rashid Karameh exhibit as people raised their flags and held up banners.
The crowd also started singing the Lebanese anthem in unison before a member of Tripoli’s municipal council Omar al-Hoz delivered a speech in which he said that “there was no difference between one region and the other or between one sect and the other.”
”Tripoli was and will remain the city of coexistence and the second capital of the Lebanese state,” he added.
In the city of Sidon, students, civil society representatives, and the Lebanese scouts gathered near the city’s coast.
The crowed was joined by Sidon Governor Mohammad al-Sououdi and a number of municipal council members.
“Sidon represents everyone on Lebanese territory, it represents Lebanese and Palestinians, and it reprints all sects and religions, be it Christian, Muslim, Sunni or Shiite, and we are all hand in hand for Lebanon,” the governor said.
The gathering was decorated with painted portraits, folklore and other displays presented by the city's students who also raised a large Lebanese flag.
The departed Lebanese Diva Sabah, who died on Wednesday, remained in the thoughts of many of the attendees who played some of her old songs, especially one she had dedicated to the capital of the south.
In Tyre, hundreds of students, area residents and UNIFIL forces raised their hands in a gesture of unity and solidarity as military helicopters circled above them.
“This stand is meant to express out rejection of sectarianism and division between Lebanon, as we call for unity and cohesion,” Tyre Municipal head Hasan Dbouq said.
Sunday’s event is the third in a spate of initiatives organized by Beirut Celebrations in commemoration the 71st anniversary of Lebanon’s independence.
The first event, United Hands across the Web, took place in October, and used Google maps to join Lebanese from across the world.
In the second event, nearly 2,000 people gathered in Martyrs Square in Beirut on Nov. 22 to form a big letter “U” for united.
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