Security forces began removing the barriers on Wednesday, days following the announcement of a new government [Joseph Eid/AFP via Getty]
Roads closures which had been in place in downtown Beirut since the 2019 uprising have finally been lifted this week, in a step signalling a return to some normality following the election of a president and formation of a new cabinet earlier this year.
The Lebanese capital’s famous Nejmeh Square, where the parliament is located, as well as Riad Solh Street near the Grand Serail, the government palace, had been closed off to vehicles for years after the nationwide demonstrations erupted in October 2019, with more security checks in place for people wishing to enter certain streets.
The uprising, unprecedented in Lebanon as it brought people from all regions, sects, and affiliations, erupted over decades of rampant corruption and a worsening economic crisis.
For months, protesters would often try to break through the cement walls erected on different streets leading into Nejmeh Square to try and reach the parliament building, being stopped by security forces or guards backed by Speaker and Amal Movement leader Nabih Berri.
The Grand Serail was also barricaded, making it extremely difficult for protesters to reach the building.
Security forces began lifting the barriers on Wednesday, allowing access again via Riad Solh Street, lined with many banks – another target for protesters at the time.
The measures were completed on Thursday, as Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s office announced that concrete barriers and barbed wire were removed from streets surrounding the Government Serail, with the aim of facilitating traffic and “contributing to restoring life in the heart of the capital”.
Beirut MP Waddah Sadek had requested Berri for the roads to reopen during a parliamentary session that saw the election of Joseph Aoun as president on 9 January.
Downtown Beirut has borne the brunt of the country’s crushing financial and economic crisis, with dozens of restaurants, shops and entertainment venues shutting down and maintenance work absent for years.
The area took another heavy blow in 2020 after the massive Beirut Port explosion which severely damaged many buildings in the vicinity.
Businesses and residents of the capital are hoping the city’s downtown will witness renovation ahead of the summer season, as Lebanon waits to see if a years-long embargo on Arab Gulf nationals visiting the country is lifted by their governments.
Ties between Lebanon and the wealthy Gulf states had worsened over the past decade as these countries had grown concerned and frustrated with Hezbollah’s growing influence in Lebanon’s political life and its foreign policies.
But following the war with Israel last year and the heavy blows dealt to the Iran-backed militant group, Hezbollah’s role in Lebanon is seen to have significantly waned. The collapse of the Assad regime in Syria has further impacted the group and cut off its main weapons supply lines, and the Shia armed group remains under heavy financial scrutiny.
That, along with the election of President Joseph Aoun and last week’s announcement of Lebanon’s first full-fledged government since 2022, has been welcomed by Arab and international states, who have expressed readiness to help Lebanon recover if it carries out deep-rooted reforms and implement the ceasefire deal with Israel.
