Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Thursday condemned Hezbollah for defying a government ban by projecting images onto Beirut’s Rawshe Rock during a commemoration for the slain party leaders Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine, calling the move a “blatant violation” of State authority.

“What took place today in the Rawshe area constitutes a clear violation of the authorization granted by the governor of Beirut,” Salam said in a statement.

The permit, he noted, had explicitly banned illuminating the landmark “from land, sea, or air, or projecting any images onto it.”

The prime minister said he had contacted the ministers of interior, justice, and defense, instructing them to take “appropriate measures, including the arrest of those responsible and their referral for investigation so they may face justice under the applicable laws.”

Salam said Hezbollah’s actions amounted to “a blatant breach of the commitments made by the organizers and their backers,” and accused the group of undermining the State.

“This represents yet another setback that reflects negatively on their credibility in dealing with the logic of the State and its institutions,” he said.

The premier insisted the government would press ahead with its efforts to restore State authority despite the defiance.

“This reprehensible act will not deter us from our decision to rebuild a state governed by law and institutions; on the contrary, it strengthens our resolve to fulfill this national duty,” Salam affirmed.