Supporters of George Abdallah staged protests near the offices of the French Cultural Institute in major cities across Lebanon Thursday, promising more demonstrations if his release is further delayed.
Dozens of supporters of Abdallah protested outside the institute in Sidon, attacking French President Francois Hollande and demanding the release of the “revolutionary.”
Carrying banners accusing France of terrorism and describing Hollande as “the product of America and Israel,” protesters also slammed the Lebanese government for its alleged inaction.
“We don’t want a government that receives the ambassadors of America and France,” the supporters chanted.
Amid tight security measures, the protesters spray-painted “France is a fascist” on the walls of the institute, which was later erased by employees.
The demonstrators blocked a nearby road, prompting additional units of Internal Security Forces and anti-riot police to step in.
The ISF put up a cordon around the main entrance of the institute, located near the city’s Martyrs Square, after a number of young men climbed over the fence before the assigned date of the sit-in and sprayed anti-France slogans on the wall.
Another attempt to climb the institute fence during the protest led to a fist fight between ISF members and protesters. The skirmish was contained shortly after.
“This sit-in will spread from Sidon, to Tyre, Nabatieh and Tripoli and other Lebanese districts to target all French interests and missions in order to exert further pressure so that France will sign the order to expel Abdallah,” Bassam Kantar, from the International Campaign to Free George Abdallah, said during the Sidon protest.
Later, in Deir al-Qamar, protesters entered the institute waving posters of Abdallah. Similar protests in Tyre, Baalbek, Tripoli and Nabatieh were held, forcing offices to close for the day.
The campaign said in a statement that Thursday’s protests were just the start, vowing to make escalatory moves if Abdallah remains behind bars.
“French institutions in Lebanon will not be able to function normally if the arrest of George Abdallah continues,” said the statement. “We will close the doors of the institutes today as a warning move, but we will close them for longer period if the [French] authorities do not release and deport [Abdallah] to Lebanon.”
The Lebanese prisoner’s release was delayed after the French Interior Ministry refused to approve his deportation order, even though he was granted parole by a French court a week prior on the condition he leave the country.
The leftist militant was sentenced to life in prison by a French court in 1987 for the 1982 murders of American Lt. Col. Charles Ray and Israeli diplomat Yaakov Bar-Simantov in Paris.
President Michel Sleiman expressed his regret that Abdallah’s release had been postponed. Speaking to ministers during a Cabinet session he chaired at Baabda Palace, Sleiman said he received the French ambassador to Lebanon, Patrice Paoli, earlier this week and conveyed his hope that the situation would be addressed in a positive manner.
Prime Minister Mikati said Lebanon’s ambassador to France, Butros Asaker, would attend a meeting at the French Foreign Ministry to inquire about the matter.
Hasan Sabra, also part of the campaign to free Abdallah, told The Daily Star that demonstrators were planning to protest in the southern village of Srifa Saturday, where French members of UNIFIL have a base. He also said the ongoing Beirut sit-in outside the French Embassy would be joined by numerous supporters Friday.
