‘Beirutis List’ new campaign clip insults Beirutis intelligence


The March14-March8 alliance for Beirut municipal elections – called the 'Beirutis List' – has released a new campaign clip, obviously aiming at gaining support from the Sunni community. However, the clip insults everyone’s intelligence and memory.

The clip is a classic edit of still pictures that plays on emotions, with a very dramatic music and a lyrical voice over (watch video below). It would have been somewhat ok if it didn’t include a picture of the infamous May 7 2008, when March8 militias took over Beirut. The voice over says: “together we lived through difficult times” while we see the Future TV building on fire.

(screenshot from 'Beirutis List' campaign clip)

Bringing back memories of these terrible events could awaken sectarian resentment and drive the Beirut Sunni community to massively vote for the so-called 'Beirutis List'. Or so they thought. But there’s problem, a big problem actually: how do they expect the Sunni community to rally behind a list that includes the very same parties that took part in the May 7 events?

How foolish do they think Beirutis are? How forgetful and how gullible? Doesn’t this clip prove how little respect they have for the Sunni community and for Beirutis in general? How insulting it is for everyone’s intelligence and memory? The people of Beirut, all the people of Beirut, deserve better, much better. And I hope they’ll vote wisely on election day.