The Syrian Social Nationalist Party (SSNP) held a parade in Hamra on Sunday to commemorate the Wimpy Operation, despite caretaker Minister of Interior Bassam Mawlawi’s refusal to grant the party permission for the march.
Dozens of SSNP activists paraded in Hamra to mark the 37th anniversary of the operation, commemorating party member Khaled Alwan who targeted Israeli soldiers at the Wimpy cafe in 1982 during the Israeli occupation of Beirut.
Mawlawi’s media office issued a statement on Sunday emphasizing that the two factions within the SSNP had applied for permits to stage ceremonies on the same date and in close proximity to each other.
The decision to prohibit the event was justified by concerns stemming from the ongoing division within the party and “the potential security issues that could ensue should both commemorations be allowed, possibly resulting in violent clashes or gunfire between the supporters of the two factions,” according to Mawlawi’s office.
The party is headed by Rabih Banat. Its former leader Assaad Hardan was excluded, but his followers still view him as the legitimate leader. The parade was organized by the faction headed by Banat, who was present at the ceremony. The rival branches have been involved in armed incidents in recent years.
