Tears, anger at Vancouver vigil for victims of Beirut explosion

Dozens of people gathered in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery on Wednesday night to remember people who died after a major blast ripped through the port area of Beirut the day before.

Some people at the vigil were critical of the Lebanese government and the events that led to the explosion, believed to have been caused by a chemical stockpile,while others who attended urged people to donate aid for the thousands of people who are struggling to rebuild.

A nostalgic song by popular Lebanese singer Fairuz about Beirut played over the crowd as some held Lebanese flags and lit candles.

Some could not hold back tears.

Vancouver business ownerSabrina Chammas Doumet said her siblings, parents and grandparents were in Beirut and were lucky to survive, but now others need help.

She and others at the vigil say the blast, suspected to have been caused by ammonium nitrate stored in Beirut'sport district, highlights how poorly the country has been run.

"We are asking world leaders to help but not give money to our government because they will pocket all the money and not give anything back to the Lebanese people," Chammas Doumet said.

"The Lebanese people just can't take it anymore. The blast was just another thing. COVID-19 was the least our worries."

The efforts to rebuild will be that much harder because the political situation in Lebanon is so dire, she said.

"We had been here a few months ago protesting against our government and since then it's been getting worse and worse, economically and politically," she said.

Vancouver restaurant owner Haitham El Khatib said his brother-in-law needed stitches after hishead and arm were injured by flying glass in the explosion.

"Their house is pretty much destroyed. They are very close to the explosion," he said.

He believes the general feeling among people of Lebanese descent is that the blast is a turning point.

El Khatib said he hopes it "will be remembered as the final awakening" to get rid of the government that is running Lebanon.

He wants donations to be directed to aid groups that are not affiliated with the government.