Hezbollah had planned a high-profile show of strength along Beirut’s waterfront, but government intervention forced a significant scaling back of the activities, sources told Al-Nidaa Al-Watan. 

According to the sources, the group had initially envisioned a multifaceted display: closing the Corniche to traffic with motorcycles in a land-based show of force, filling the sea with fishing boats launching from the Ouzaii port in a coordinated maritime maneuver, and staging a parallel scene in the Dalieh area near Rawshe Rock to amplify its symbolic presence over the city’s coastline.

The planned activities, sources said, were not merely public gatherings but aimed at compensating for a perceived loss of influence, signaling to both domestic and international audiences that Hezbollah retains the capacity to mobilize unrest.

However, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s firm stance emerged as a counterweight. Government sources confirmed that he was determined to strictly enforce the ban on the use of archaeological, tourist, and public sites for political or party events. As a result, security forces were deployed in force from early Wednesday across Rawshe Rock, with a comprehensive plan to uphold the government directive. Maritime monitoring was also put in place to prevent violations, while riot control units were stationed to ensure compliance.

After a series of meetings and calls led by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Hezbollah deputies, a compromise was reached. Sources said an association close to Hezbollah formally notified authorities of a planned gathering on the Corniche opposite Rawshe Rock to commemorate the party’s late leaders Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine. In response, and to safeguard public freedoms, the governor authorized the gathering under strict conditions: the road must remain open, Rawshe Rock would not be illuminated, and no light projections could be displayed on it.

Hezbollah itself said it had not issued any official announcement regarding Thursday’s planned activity at Rawshe. Beirut Governor Judge Marwan Abboud confirmed the authorization while reiterating that the rock would remain unlit, per commitments from the organizers.

Sources added that Berri and Salam reached a preliminary understanding to keep Rawshe Rock neutral, redirecting any planned lighting or visual projections skyward rather than onto the landmark.

Security sources told Al-Nidaa Al-Watan that measures in and around Rawshe will remain in place to prevent any breaches.