27 April 2012

NAHR AL KALB, Lebanon: The Lebanese Forces student association held a ceremony at the mouth of the historical Nahr al-Kalb river Thursday to commemorate the seventh anniversary of the end of the Syrian military presence in Lebanon.

Several hundred students waving Lebanese Forces and National Liberal Party flags, rallied near the river and then paraded to the rock wall that holds the monuments marking the country’s independence and the end of the Israeli occupation.

There, they placed a temporary printed plaque commemorating the end of the Syrian occupation in 2005.

Tony Darwish vice president of the student association, said the move was a symbolic gesture to commemorate an important event in the country’s history when a popular uprising after the death of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri forced the Syrians out of the country.

“It has a special meaning now; the same regime which we have been struggling against the Syrian people are struggling against,” said Darwish, about the year-long uprising in Syria.

“It’s a message that we want a real plaque next to the other ones,” he said.

Since antiquity, invading armies and occupying nations have erected monuments at the mouth of the Nahr al-Kalb river. The area is littered with obelisks and engravings from ancient conquerors.

In 2000 supporters of Free Patriotic Movement Leader Michel Aoun unsuccessfully attempted to put up a monument to mark the impending withdrawal of the Syrians from the country.

Darwish said he will be submitting a request to President Michel Sleiman to erect a permanent monument at the site to mark the end of Syrian occupation.

Student supporters came from universities across the country to chant, wave flags and carry posters of Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea and assassinated president-elect Bashir Gemayel.

Before the parade, several political leaders spoke to the crowd, trumpeting the Syrian withdrawal as a great event in Lebanese history and decrying Hezbollah’s activities in the country and the Syrian regime.

“We write our own history,” said Darwish about the uprisings that led to the Syrian withdrawal.

Several people flew the flag of an elite Lebanese Forces militia from during the Civil War depicting a skull in a beret, as well as the banner of the ostensibly defunct Tigers militia.

“We are supporting the fact that the Syrian army left,” said 19-year-old Yara Yazbeck. “It’s nothing military, it’s for the students.”

But Demitri Haddad, 22, who was flying the Lebanese Forces militia banner, said he thought the Lebanese Forces rally was important because of the role the party played in fighting the Syrians during the Civil War.

He said the rally showed the party was still strong.

“Tell them we are back,” he said.

Copyright The Daily Star 2012.