TRIPOLI: Angry locals and civil society activists staged a second consecutive protest in Tripoli Saturday to denounce a proposal to build a large underground parking lot in the city’s historic Al-Tal square, one day after it was given the green light.
The protesters gathered in front of Tripoli’s Serail to demand the municipal council reverse its approval of the plan.
The project was unanimously rejected by all council members during a vote earlier this month, but after suspected lobbying and pressure, the council Friday voted in favor of the parking lot.
The council also agreed on relinquishing the municipality’s ownership of the square as requested by the Council for Development and Reconstruction earlier this month.
The decision sparked an outcry among local residents who protested outside of the Serail Friday after the municipal council issued its approval.
They complained that the construction of the project would alter the areas traditional landmarks and will endanger its historic buildings.
Social Affairs Minister Rashid Derbas, who is from Tripoli and was a propopnent of the plan, said Saturday that the municipal council has ordered a detailed proposal plan from the CDR in order to evaluate concerns raised by civil society groups.
But in the same statement carried by the National News Agency, Derbas said the project was a "blessing" to the northern city and stressed that the columns that would be used to construct the parking lot would be strong enough to support the construction of a cultural center on top of it.
The parking lot, which will consist of four floors, was approved on the condition that it would be designed in a way that would allow for the construction of a cultural center on top of it.
The center is set to replace a demolished Ottoman serail that was previously located on the square. The complex will include a large center for holding conferences and cultural activities in Tripoli.
The center will most likely be financed by a Turkish donation pledged for the construction of a cultural and conference center in Tripoli. With the issue of the Turkish donation being rather vague, the municipal council insisted that it would personally finance the project if Turkey didn’t pull through.
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