Lebanese Demonstrators Oppose Hezbollah Disarmament, Assert ‘Defense Rights Against Foreign Incursion’
In the capital city of Beirut, citizens have mobilized in significant numbers to express their solidarity with Hezbollah, the country's resistance movement. They are also protesting against increasing pressure from the United States and Israel aimed at disarming the group.
Demonstrators convened in the Dhahiyeh neighborhood on Monday evening, vocally advocating for “the right to defense against foreign invasion.”
Attendees, comprising numerous bike-riding supporters, brandished Hezbollah flags and praised the organization as a significant contributor to the nation’s defense.
Hezbollah, established in 1982, was tasked with defending the nation against Tel Aviv, which has occupied the Shebaa Farms on the shared border with Syria since 1967. The organization was also created in response to the regime’s growing regional expansion efforts.
Since then, the regime, along with its principal supporter, the United States, has been intensifying efforts to disarm the movement.
Tensions have intensified since 2023 as Hezbollah initiated solidarity actions in support of the Gaza Strip, which has been subjected to what is described as a genocidal conflict by Israel.
It quickly developed into an intensified Israeli offensive against the nation, strongly supported by Washington, resulting in the loss of over 4,000 lives.
Participants at Monday’s rally displayed images of the movement’s current officials alongside those of its martyrs, which included prominent figures who have been assassinated amid the ongoing escalation.
Hezbollah has pledged to persist in its defense of the nation, citing its successful efforts during both recent escalations and two significant Israeli conflicts in the 2000s. The group has cautioned Lebanese citizens against yielding to pressure tactics, which it claims serve expansionist ambitions.
