A massive rally in support of Hezbollah was held on 11 May in the southern district of Beirut, known as Dahiye, where the Secretary General of the resistance movement Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah gave a speech.

Aerial views of the crowd showed that the presence of supporters extended well beyond the limits of the gates of Ashura Field, an outdoor venue used for political and religious events.

Hezbollah supporters in Beirut today. Greater masses were supporting the resistance’s democratic election campaign in other Lebanese areas. Hezbollah still holds the record of most popular votes. Does this look like an “illegitimate militia” to you?pic.twitter.com/XROJ29E1WT

— Hadi Nasrallah (@HadiNasrallah) May 10, 2022

Photo of today’s rally in Beirut. pic.twitter.com/R6k03Wb7cM

— Lebanese News and Updates (@LebUpdate) May 10, 2022

This was Nasrallah second speech in a row, after speaking to crowds gathered in the cities of Nabatiyeh and Tyre the previous day.

In the speech given to Dahiye, Nasrallah stated that Lebanon possesses enough resources and capabilities to become a truly strong state that does not “need to be a beggar at the door of foreign embassies who restrict Lebanon from establishing relations with the east.”

“Not turning east just to please the US will not lead the Lebanese anywhere forward,” the Hezbollah leader stated.

Currently, Russia, Iran, and China have several infrastructure offers on the table for the Lebanese government, including power plants, oil refineries, and modern railway systems, which can be paid for in Lebanese lira – an advantage for the Lebanese state given its dwindling foreign currency reserves.

However, current and previous Lebanese governments have been timid about signing these offers and to date have mainly ignored them.

Hezbollah and its allies have been demanding that the Lebanese state stop ignoring these offers and approve them immediately.

Nasrallah declared that the choice on 15 May, the day of the general election, is between “real sovereigns who want to make Lebanon a strong nation, and fake sovereigns who want it an exposed country; between those who want Lebanon to be a master in the region, and those who want it always begging at the door of foreign embassies; and between those who shoulder responsibility for the affairs of the state, and those who deny responsibility …”

He also stated that the opponents of the Lebanese resistance are those who wish to re-ignite the flames of civil war, and that whoever seeks to re-open a civil war in Lebanon is committing treason.

The Hezbollah leader also called for accountability in Lebanon’s banking system, and stressed that the parliament should not sign on to any capital control laws that restrict the rights of depositors while protecting the banking executives.

Nasrallah noted that the Hezbollah parliamentary bloc had submitted its own draft law for the banking sector, in which it protects the rights of depositors. He urged all elected lawmakers in the coming election to sign on to this law.

Nasrallah also asked the Lebanese for patience, saying it is not realistic to assume that all the problems of the state can be solved overnight.

He also said that Hezbollah would not exclude any sect or group from the Lebanese government, and that all groups must work together to save the country.

Nasrallah said that Hezbollah would also ensure the ability to extract billions of dollars worth of energy resources in its territorial waters, and that with such untapped wealth, Lebanon is neither poor nor bankrupt.

An investigation by The Cradle on 10 May comprehensively explained how the Lebanese electoral system works under the country’s fragile sectarian balance.