Protesters gathered outside the office of Lebanese legislator Mohammed Raad, the head of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc, chanting “the people want to bring down the regime,” AP reported on Monday. One used a metal rod to knock down a sign bearing Raad’s name, while the others cheered, according to the report.
The protest occurred in the Hezbollah stronghold of Nabatieh in southern Lebanon, according to the report, and crossed sectarian lines.
Shi’ite Hezbollah, along with the Shi’ite Amal Party, has always counted on support for the country’s Shia community.
However, the current popular protests engulfing Lebanon are directed against the ruling elite, including Hezbollah.
“All of them means all of them, and [Hezbollah leader Hassan] Nasrallah is one of them,” protesters have chanted at rallies in Beirut, according to the report.
Hezbollah and Amal thugs have physically attacked protesters, as well as critics of Nasrallah, and Amal chief and Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. Several Lebanese individuals posted apologies for criticizing the two apparently after having been beaten.
Nasrallah has tried to quell the protests by saying that all accusations of corruption should be investigated, including against Hezbollah members, the AP noted.
