[ANALYSIS] Grief and wrath as Lebanon marks year since deadly blast
White roses are seen on portraits of victims of last year's Beirut port blast in the Lebanese capital as Lebanon marks a year since a cataclysmic explosion ravaged the city..BEIRUT - Lebanon on Wednesday marks a year since a cataclysmic explosion ravaged Beirut, with a mix of grief over lost lives and rage at the impunity for its worst peacetime disaster at a time when its economy was already in tatters.
With more than half the country living under the poverty line, former colonial power France aims to raise humanitarian aid at another international conference co-hosted by the UN on the day of the anniversary. President Emmanuel Macron hopes to gather $350 million. Many will stay home on what was declared a national day of mourning, but last year's shock soon gave way to an anger that has only grown with every day the crime stays unpunished.
"We are done with routine and peaceful demonstrations ... beware of our anger," said Ibrahim Hoteit, a spokesperson for the families.One protest is due to wind up in front of parliament, where no move has been taken towards accepting accountability.Amnesty International accused the Lebanese authorities of"shamelessly obstructing" justice, while Human Rights Watch published a long report accusing them of"criminal negligence".
An aerial view shows the massive damage at Beirut port's grain silos and the area around it, one day after the massive explosion that hit the heart of the Lebanese capitalThey have yet to agree on a government lineup despite being given a mid-September deadline last year by Paris, which has spearheaded an aid drive conditioned on reform.
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