Preparing for the worst, a Lebanese village confronts and raises its voice!

“Lebanon Debate”

On Thursday, youngsters from both Chekka and Hay Al Sahel held a protest against the intensity of the Syrian presence in the region. They called for the need to take precautionary measures to confront the Syrian displacement and its repercussions.

In this context, the mayor of Chekka Shalita Semaan Azar confirmed in a call with Lebanon Debate that “the Chekka area, just like any other Lebanese region, suffers from the Syrian displacement; we are no different. However, we all know that Chekka is an industrial region, this explains the density of the Syrian presence, whether legal or illegal.”

Azar says, “We support the steps taken by the governor of the North and the security forces to address the Syrian displacement issue. We endorse all of the decisions and procedures they have taken in this regard in order to protect our areas from any danger caused by the Syrian presence.”

"Chekka has a population density of more than 2,000 displaced people, some of whom have work and courtesy visas, others surreptitiously enter Lebanon. As well as those who move from other areas to Chekka and then to Akkar. All of these movements pose a great risk," he said.

The mayor adds, "We realized the seriousness of the matter and took the appropriate decision among the people of the town to prevent the entry of any stranger into the area. Moreover, we took several precautionary measures to accompany the municipal police and support the army to reach the desired results in the issue of the danger of the Syrian presence."

Azar stresses "the need to set a curfew for Syrians at night, demand the application of the law, prevent infringements, and not overlook the illegal Syrian presence.”

He later affirms that “the youth of the town roam the streets of Chekka to implement the necessary precautionary measures. We can assure you that all the movements and measures we are taking are peaceful and aim to protect the security of the town."