The Lebanese Press Club condemned the opposition’s closure of the Future media outlets and threats against Future Television.

The Future television station; Future news channels; the Al-Mustaqbal, Al-Sharq, and Al-Shiraa dailies; and the Sevan radio station, all owned by majority leader Saad Hariri’s family, were closed after opposition gunmen, mainly from Hezbollah and Amal, threatened to destroy all their facilities and equipment.

The Al-Mustaqbal daily and the former Future premises in Raouche were attacked and set on fire earlier this week.

The Press Club called for excluding media from any confrontations and violence and called on the Lebanese army to protect and preserve civil freedoms.

“The Lebanese army must start paving the way for the reopening of media outlets that were forced to close under the threat of violence and the use of weapons,” the club said in a statement.

It also called on all journalists, reporters and media personnel in Lebanon and the Arab world for solidarity with their colleagues in the Future companies.

The Press Club called on media personnel for “a peaceful and civilized demonstration” on May 10 at 11:00 a.m. starting at the Bourj Al-Ghazal building in Tabaris and extending to the Future News Channel offices in Al-Qontari.

-NOW Staff