Hariri politics in Lebanon

"Immediately following the protest on Tuesday night, the Mustaqbal Movement in particular and the March 14 alliance in general, began to call the pro-Syrian activists offering political and economic “cover” for those that were hurt. Ghassan Makarem was taken by the Lebanese Red Cross to the Maqasid Hospital to be treated for his wounds. That first night in the hospital, he was visited by representatives of the Hariri Foundation, which has become the social services arm of the Mustaqbal party, and that were offering to pay for all of his medical care. Of course, they arrived with a Future Channel television crew. Ghassan, who like many of us is allergic to the racist, xenophobic, patriarchal, hyper capitalist, socially conservative, and corrupt politics of the Hariri-led Mustaqbal political party, refused their help and refused to be filmed and branded as a yet another March 14 “martyr.” In doing so, he was rejecting the transformation of his injuries into a symbol of the barbarity of “March 8” and the the-oh -so “civilized” and “democratic” nature of the political parties that oppose them.[1]" (thanks Maya)