Raoucheh Rock illuminated without approval: The backstory of Hezbollah and the government

Report by Lara El Hachem, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi  
 
Beirut witnessed on Thursday thousands of gatherers commemorating the anniversary of the deaths of Hezbollah leaders Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine.

The commemoration featured chants, eulogies, and the illumination of Beirut's Raoucheh Rock with images of the two leaders and other political figures. 

Hours after the display, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam canceled all appointments at the Grand Serail and denounced the lighting as a "clear violation" of the permits granted by the Beirut governor, who had explicitly prohibited illuminating the rock. The prime minister called on all security agencies to apprehend those responsible and refer them for investigation.

Hezbollah maintains that the group sought to coordinate the event, but was followed by objections and the issuance of a circular by Salam prohibiting the use of public property without permits.

According to Hezbollah, lawmakers Amin Sherri and Ibrahim Moussawi met with Interior Minister Ahmad al-Hajjar to coordinate the commemoration. They promised the gathering would remain peaceful, without political speeches or road closures. The group said their requests for illumination approval were never clearly addressed, leaving the issue unresolved.

The communications concluded that approval would be given, and those concerned submitted a license request from the governor, but after reviewing the established conditions, they promised to return with an answer, but they never did, which implicitly means that the conditions were rejected.

However, the Interior Ministry presented a different account. It said that while the lawmakers proposed a compromise for the gathering, excluding the illumination part. The ministry reminded them that any permit approval, especially after the prime minister's directive, required explicit government authorization. 

A compromise was later approved by Salam, allowing up to 500 participants—but without lighting the Raoucheh Rock. The permit, drafted by the governor, was also presented to Sherri and strictly prohibited projecting images or symbols of political or religious figures on public or private property. The Interior Ministry considered the matter settled, but the surprise was the violation of what had been agreed upon.

Despite the restrictions, organizers went forward with the light show, prompting an investigation. 

Security sources estimated that around 40,000 attendees were present at the event. The Lebanese Army and security forces focused on maintaining stability and public safety rather than forcibly dispersing participants. 

Authorities stress that violating administrative permits constitutes a legal offense, regardless of the scale or political sensitivity of the event.