Lebanon - Arab today
Civil Defense volunteers held a sit-in at Riad al Solh Square to demand the approval of the law relating to them, and which is on the Parliament's agenda.
Volunteer Youssef Mallah spoke, on behalf of the crowd, addressing Speaker Nabih Berri and reminding him of "the rightful cause of Civil Defense volunteers" and the importance of finalizing this dossier in the next parliament session.
He also addressed Prime Minister Saad Hariri and reminded him of "the sacrifices of volunteers and martyrs," not forgetting to mention the promise once made by the Director General of Civil Defense to bring justice to all.
MP Hadi Hobeish, who joined the protestors, affirmed solidarity with their right to demand the approval of the law set on the agenda.
He called on all the political blocs and upon Speaker Berri to "separate the dispute over the salary scale and the election law from the right of volunteers in the civil defense."
He pointed out that "the law needs an amendment on one article related to age, for it turned out 80 percent of them were over 30 years old, and will be referred to retirement at the age of 50
Source: NNA