Woman with Toy Gun Grabs Trapped Savings from Beirut Bank
SnopesDec 27, 2022
The Facts
28-year-old Lebanese activist and designer Sali Hafiz, alongside a group of other activists, stormed a BLOM Bank branch in Beirut on Wednesday to demand some of her savings to reportedly fund her sister's cancer treatment.
She managed to get $13K from the $20K she claims to have deposited in the bank. According to Hafiz, she was repeatedly denied access to more than $200 a month in Lebanese pounds.
The Spin
Narrative A
Sali Hafiz is a hero, and her actions represent the frustrations of an entire nation that has been deprived of its savings for nearly three years. As millions of Lebanese have been thrown into poverty by corrupt politicians and bank managers, such desperate measures are a form of retribution for this injustice.
Narrative B
While Hafiz's actions may seem noble to some, she, like many others inside and outside Lebanon, is blaming the wrong people. It's the outside influence of Iran, as well as Hezbollah, that has pushed Lebanon to the brink, and the Lebanese people must acknowledge this to truly move forward and fix their country.