Mobilisation contre l’appropriation des espaces publics dans le centre de Beyrouth
THE DAILY STAR : : News : : Local News : : Activist group seeks to protect public spaces menaced by development
►http://dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2012/Sep-28/189451-activist-group-seeks-to-protect-public-spaces-menaced-by-develo
Development in Lebanon’s capital can appear unstoppable at times, given its speed and rampancy. But ever since reconstruction began in the wake of the Civil War there have been individuals trying to push it in a different direction. The latest of these is Masha3, a group of around 12 activists who will launch Friday a campaign for the protection of public spaces, a rare commodity in Beirut, a city where the main park is closed to all its young citizens.
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Masha3 will hold its first event Friday evening at St. George beach club, a location chosen for its proximity to Solidere’s waterfront development, which Masha3 considers to be illegal.
“It’s illegal to build so close to the sea,” says journalist Bassam al-Kantar, one of the founding members of the group. “It prevents people having free access to the sea, and it’s very clear in our [penal] code that that’s a right, to have free and open access to the seashore.” Solidere declined to comment Thursday.