Families of Beirut port blast victims stormed the Justice Palace to protest perceived obstruction of the investigation. They were injuries reported in clashes with security forces.
A spokesman for the families, William Noun, said: “We are not against the Higher Judicial Council but rather against some judges in it.” They are demanding that the investigation continue.
Protests have been ongoing with mostly the direct family members of the victims of the explosion.
MP Melhem Khalaf told MTV that “the culture of impunity has led to what we are seeing today in front of the Palace of Justice.”
The investigation has been blocked for months by Lebanon’s political groups. It aims to uncover responsibility for the blast that killed 244 people and caused billions in damage. Many blame the tragedy on government corruption.
The ammonium nitrate that caused the explosion had been stored improperly at the port for years. Senior political and security officials knew of its presence but did nothing.
Investigating judge Tarek Bitar has been criticized by Hezbollah. He is the second judge to take the case and charged four senior officials with intentional killing and negligence.
