Bassil to Baabda's youth in “the Movement”: We have a strong presence among young people despite the “bullying” campaigns, and our goal is a state that protects the Lebanese individual.

The president of the Free Patriotic Movement, MP Gebran Bassil, noted that the Free Patriotic Movement was alone during the 1990-2005 period and that its supporters were unable to meet as they do now, adding: “After the war of liberation, we were alone, but we did not lose hope and did not say that the Syrian army would not leave Lebanon. Rather, we insisted that it would leave, and that is what happened.” At a dinner for the youth sector in the Baabda district, attended by the vice president of the Free Patriotic Movement for administrative affairs, Ghassan Khoury, Engineer Fadi Abu Rahal, Baabda district coordinator Fadi Nasr, and members of the committee, Bassil addressed the students and young people in attendance, urging them not to be afraid. He said: “They are trying to make us live in an illusion through campaigns, ‘brainwashing,’ and the bullying we have been subjected to. All of this has created an unhealthy situation, even though our presence among youth and students remains strong.” Basil stressed the need to “restore confidence in ourselves,” explaining: “I know the interests of today’s youth, and they will not realize the value of Lebanon until they leave it for countries of the diaspora,” calling on them “not to waste time without engaging in the love of Lebanon and realizing how important the land of Lebanon is to you and how strong your connection to it is, because what you experience in Lebanon you will not find in any other country, regardless of the difficulties you may face there” He added: “What I am saying today is the result of a personal experience I gained during my trips abroad, and Lebanese expatriates have only one wish, which is to return to Lebanon, and to achieve this wish, there must be a state." Bassil concluded by saying, “The goal of the Free Patriotic Movement is to have a state that protects people, grants them their rights, and preserves their dignity so that they can live in a decent and dignified manner. We do not say we want reform as a slogan; we truly want it. We have seen where the country ends up without a state, and how difficult your lives will be in finding job opportunities.”