A Beirut judge Sunday reversed a decision to allow private real estate companies to block entrances to Beirut’s only public beach. Beirut Judge of Urgent Matters Zalfa al-Hasan issued two decrees that cancelled a decision she issued on April 9. The previous order granted two real estate companies permission to cordon off three major sections of Ramlet al-Baida to block public access to roughly 28,000 square meters of the beach. Hasan claimed the reversal of the decision was due to new information she received that showed the real estate companies had intentions aside from protecting private ownership. The original decrees gave permission for two real estate companies, Mediterranean Real Estate and Bahr Real Estate, both owned by businessman Wissam Ashour, to block access to the beach. Public Works Minister Ghazi Zeaiter had vowed earlier this month to keep Ramlet al-Baida open to the public. The beach serves as a popular destination for Beirut’s low-income families who cannot afford the exuberant entrance fees charged at private resorts. The Daily Star
