Lebanon PM 'goes on strike' after Hezbollah defies Raouche Rock ban

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam cancelled all his official appointments on Friday in protest after Hezbollah projected images of its slain leaders Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine onto Beirut's Raouche Rock, or Pigeon Rock, in open defiance of a ban by Lebanese authorities.

The move has triggered a political storm over state authority, with critics warning it undermines the government's efforts to reassert the rule of law.

Salam's office said the prime minister was registering an act of protest against what he described as "a clear coup against the state and its decisions".

Sources told The New Arab that while Salam won't resign, he had instructed the ministers of interior, justice, and defence to investigate how the event was allowed to proceed despite an explicit ban, and to prosecute those responsible.

"This cannot pass as if nothing happened," one official said, adding that Salam views the incident as an attack on the government's credibility and Lebanon's image abroad.

On X, Salam elaborated in a strongly worded post, saying the display was an act of "flagrant violation", adding that he had instructed the ministers of interior, justice and defence to arrest those involved.

The Pigeon Rocks – or Raouche Rocks – is one of Lebanon's most famous landmarks. It is made up of two large natural formations off Beirut’s southwestern coast, rising around 70 meters high. It has often been illuminated during special occasions, both Lebanese and foreign.

The permit for Thursday's commemoration was a result of last-minute mediation by Speaker Nabih Berri, who had intervened after the governor initially sought to block the event.

The approval allowed only a symbolic gathering organised by a Hezbollah-linked association, capped at 500 attendees, and explicitly barred illuminating Raouche Rock from land, sea, or air.

Yet as night fell, thousands of supporters poured onto the Corniche as boats approached the seafront flying Hezbollah flags, while crowds bypassed security cordons on land to reach vantage points overlooking the rock.

The display projected not only Nasrallah and Safieddine but also the Amal leader Nabih Berri. It also featured the late Rafic Hariri and his son Saad, both former prime ministers, positioned with Nasrallah between them - a gesture that angered Future Movement supporters who see Hezbollah responsible for Rafic's assassination.

The atmosphere was one of defiance, local media reported, as crowds waved yellow flags and shouted insults at the prime minister, calling him a "collaborator", "Zionist", and "slave of the Americans".

Hezbollah's head of liaison and coordination, Wafiq Safa, attended the ceremony and publicly thanked Army Commander Gen. Rodolphe Heikal, Internal Security Forces chief Maj. Gen. Raed Abdullah, and Speaker Berri for their roles in ensuring its success.

The display also drew political allies, including Amal Movement members and figures from the Syrian Social Nationalist Party.

Supporters framed the gathering as a reaffirmation of loyalty to Hezbollah's fallen leaders and a rejection of state pressure.

"We are here to show that Hezbollah cannot be erased - if they want to take our weapons, they will have to take us first," one man told reporters on the seafront, in reference to the government's effort to disarm the group.

Meanwhile, Beirut MP Fouad Makhzoumi accused Hezbollah of "hijacking Beirut and turning it into a propaganda platform".

MP Mark Daou praised Salam for "drawing red lines", stressing that sovereignty must rest with state institutions, not with "street power or political bargaining".

Independent MP Ibrahim Mneimneh described the projection as a "show of force" which demonstrates Hezbollah's attempt to shift its problems into Lebanon.

In response to criticism for allowing the event to take place, the Lebanese Defence Minister Michel Mneimneh said the army's mission was to prevent strife, safeguard civil peace and uphold national unity, stressing that soldiers had sacrificed their lives for the nation and should not be scapegoated for political failures.