✸The Hay al-Sellom events

On 27 May 2004 the army opened fire on a demonstration in Hay al-Sellom against the rise in fuel prices called by the General Labour Confederation, killing five demonstrators; the incident caused a crisis between the government, the army command and the party's community. Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah answered on 29 May: "We strongly condemn answering stones with bullets aimed at chests and heads", accused parties linked to the American embassy of widening the friction to other neighbourhoods, and demanded a transparent investigation, two emergency sessions of the government and parliament, and "accountability for all those at fault".