investigates, it's determined whether or not this is a terrorist incidence, but as always, they will keep an open mind. to die is a tragic die for the family and colleagues as a david. the community of south ends and in date for the whole of greater essex. so david has dedicated his life to serving the communities of essex and south end and to day he was simply dispensing his duties when his life was. ready horrific lee cut short. i know the residence of essex. a south and west will stand with me to day in remembering a member of our community. here essex place offices right across our force and particularly in south end, i've enjoyed a long standing and positive working relationship with david. and today's events will be hard to take for everyone who knew him. especially trying to family liaison offices are providing support to his family to day our offices will continue to

work around the clock to ensure. ready justice is delivered as a david and his family and i'd like to thank the people of south end for their understanding as the investigation continues. i would urge anyone who has any information in relation to this terrible incident to call and essex place on one o one online or indeed fire crime stoppers. finally, i asked for everybody to respect the privacy of sir david's family at this really difficult time. and far and lastly, to say that my personal thoughts, having worked with david and of course, all of of, of those from essex place and our prayers are with sir david in his family of his difficult on engine. thank you, chief counsel. if this is a shocking and other the despicable attack against somebody who was an outstanding, empty and has worked tirelessly for their community for many,

many years. my pres a, with sir david and his family at this incredibly difficult time. i know from personal experience, the passion with which he stood up for and represented this community. he had a big heart also wants to acknowledge the officers who attended the event for their bravery encourage. it is vital that we get the place all our support to ensure that they can do their job at this time. for anybody who has information, please do not hesitate to contact the police. thank you. thanks police. the not taking any questions from the press pack, there is a considerable number of tv, radio and newspaper print journalists there, because understandably, this is a massive story in the u. k that we heard from the local chief constable of essex

police. he was seeing a 25 year old man was arrested at the scene immediately, and life was also recovered at the scene. he did not name describe or discuss anything to do with the alleged perpetrator specialist counter terrorism command is leading the inquiry, although the chief constable did go on to make the point that there was no indication as of yet that this was terror or terrorism related. he did say to david's life was horrific. li cut short offices here. he said have enjoyed a positive working relationship with said david ames. and he also wants to thank the people of south end for their support. so far as the inquiry continues. and he also asked, but everyone respects the privacy of the family just after he made the point that especially train team of family liaison offices will be talking to. so david's widow and his 5 children, one assumes,

and they also rounded off that short news conference by saying we asked the people of south end, the people of leon, see the people of essex. and indeed, i guess the people of the country to support the police so they can do that job both men at that news conference as well, are echoing and reiterating what we've heard from the police locally over the past for 90 minutes, 2 hours or so. thing, but if anyone has anything to contribute to the inquiry, they should contact the police be either via the websites or via the the relevant local telephone. so coming towards the end of a very, very difficult day there for that at constituency leon c, south end on see sort of east well east of the greater london area on the day that the 69 year old, conservative m p. so david ames was murdered. during one of his

constituency surgeries, waiting to talk to constituents in his constituency there just outside the greater london area. up next on this channel, inside story, lebanon is in morning after his worst street violence in years. the 7 people were killed in gun battle between vidal facts in beirut, the countries already facing economic and political collapse. so could this trigger more instability? this isn't fair story. ah. hello, welcome to the program. i'm in ron kahn, the streets and lebanon's capital, beirut, a quiet after a day of violence, but some one, it could just be the calm before the storm in a country already in the middle of political and economic chaos. let's remind you

of lebanon's precarious situation. the currency is lost more than 90 percent of its value in 2 years. people can't afford food, medicines or fuel, nor can they rely on basic services like electricity, healthcare, or even rubbish collection. many lebanese blame politicians for years of corruption and mismanagement. and last year's beirut port blossom killed, more than 200 people is seen as a symbol the states failure. now, thursday began with sheer groups including has bhalla holding riley's calling for the removal of the judge. investigating that pope lost their cues tarik baton, a be politically biased. now the army initially said snipers fight the demonstrators. it since claim to funds on a dispute between protesters and another group. so the holder has more from there. there's a cautious com after nearly 5 hours of a deadly clashes along a dividing line that dates back to the days of the civil war that ended in 1990.

the guns may have fallen silent, but the crisis is far from over. the tension started because of a judge. the lead judge investigating the bay route port explosion. the she are political groups, their strong hold across the street. they are demanding that he be removed. they believe he is politicized. while the opposition disagrees, they believe that baton should be given a chance to complete his investigation before judging him. and the opposition accuses has bella and amal, of staging, a qu, using their weapons to impose their will. now, there are conflicting narratives on how the confrontation began. each side, blaming the other for starting the confrontation of the army, issuing a statement, not blaming really either side. the army is in a very difficult position, delicate position because of the sea and taking one side against the other. it could split along sectarian lines as what happened during the civil war. what

happens next? what we understand is, has been a mile, are not going to back down. they are insisting better be removed. they're also threatening to pull out from the government. after 13 months of political paralysis, our government was formed last month if they walk out cabinet cannot govern simply because an entire sector is not represented in violation of lebanon's power, sectarian, carry on power sharing agreements. so difficult days ahead, the crisis is over really, this is an old battles, an old political divide between different groups on how they see 11 on on how they see a state. this is in there for inside story problem. mrs says it's not the job of politicians to intervene in the judiciary law. hawk gladly removing the prob, judge is not up to politicians. we have a stand the prob, judge should 1st preserve the laws and the constitution. many, including myself,

may believe there is a constitutional error, but the judiciary has to decide and that body can rectify itself, not the politicians. the violence has been condemned around the world. cattle urged all parties in lebanon to avoid escalation and exercise restraint. the foreign ministry called the national interest to be prioritized, over partisan and political ones. russia said it was extremely concerned and called for restraint and prudence. and iran condemned the killing of the protesters and said it, believe the government, the army, and the resistance in lebanon will successfully overcome additions, backed by israel. ah, let's bring in our guests in beirut, sammy, another director of the levant institute for strategic affairs in doha. rami hoary director of global engagement and the american university of beirut. and also in beirut, jessica aid and activist, and independent energy policy consultant. thank you for joining so much begin in

beirut. were that you saw me now that are on the surface. this looks like has bola and amal, bullying, the government and the judiciary into making a change that they want? is that a fair assessment? i think it's fair assessment. this is what the action one has to say, or the action of the cyber is supposed to be acceptable. shooty on demonstrators is totally acceptable. however, x has ball law and our minds are okay. it's, i'm trying to blow up justice for procedures who is all triggered the reaction. now we don't know if these flashes where like a genuine reaction of that wonders who is, is that something state. but we will soon know this, if the outcome of all this man will be the suspension of that john speaker. for

that reason, dad social city got sad to see that we have witnessed a scenery in order to suspend the action of the judge. bearing in mind that this, that they have been trying every to block the investigation process, they have been trying political oppression. they have been trying intimidation. they have been trying legal projects. and recently they took it to the city they played on the, the, me trying to drive the country into a civil war or something close to a civil war in order to broke. that justice procedure. let's bring in rami, hoary in doha, lebanon has the right of free assembly has the right of to protest yet they will

snipers. they show into the crowd. we don't know who they'll um, what is going on? is this, you know, change by violence. well, what's going on is something, unfortunately, that has happened before and lebanon. people take to the streets, unknown gunman or non people, but explosives. it. the tragedy is that it could be any of 2 or 3 or 4 possible groups or, and people who might want to do this to shoot up the demonstrators initially, the marchers who came into the area, of course the, the march was provocative, was just going near the christian majority area and some of them like she, i, she also, there was some provocation there clearly. but that's the whole point actually. situation from the m a side was to assert themselves, saying we're not going to accept this, this investigation the way it's going now. and then people shot at them. so

these things happen unfortunately regularly because the country has never figured out a way to adjudicate disputes, political disputes, and in a political way. the election system doesn't seem to do it. the judicial system doesn't seem to do it. and therefore people take, take to the streets and now you have a unusual situation where has valez so powerful and strong military and politically that it feels that come lay down red lines and the surgeon itself. and this is, this is one of them. i try to do that with the u. m. investigation of international mixed investigations or how data killing. and i wasn't able to because of the international link. so this is unfortunately part of the modern lebanese political culture, which is a little bit disjointed,

slightly this dysfunctional. it's not going to be easily resolved. well, that's bringing jessica obeyed. hey, it was also very jessica. you were a big part of the protests over electricity sources. days over general, mismanagement in level itself. now you're seeing these protests, are you worried that protesting is become a very dangerous affair. 11 on. is this an escalation in your opinion? because they cannot compare demonstration that's happened yesterday of the group trying to of just to justice and comfortability, the process of people demanding basic services and accountability. there are no similarities and the prod that what we're seeing in terms of the shortage and lack of basic services is that people are no longer mobile. i mean like they did and over 2019. and that's probably how low people are hoping

that change can happen. so what who is missing is probably be that the people who want basic services and a lot of conditions are not so hope that that they can have them anymore. so me know that how much of this is about just this topic baton and how much of this is actually just about has been wanting to get the outcome that they want. i mean, this is a really good question. there is a lot about that just because at the end of the day it's not about john, but it's about the kids. the judge will be talking about that a lot. it's close and unprecedented in history, not going on, but you were talking about a blog that did that always have a to $266000.00 wounded.

anybody even want to know that through want to know that about what happened. so they might get better if you think not a once in the heart of that even if this is on one side, on the other side. yes, this is it. that is a community leaking, the fact that this big event comes to add on many frustration that even these people are or part of that even people are they are holding grudges against has been law because it's about this be lost, but it's about a 70 or every day, a nice day is losing one additional attribute. it's somebody who the advantage of has been up. so the elephant in the room here is a lot that this today a state inside the state. it, in fact, is that if

a new state inside the state, we're talking about a population that is hostage of a military organization that has the upper hand on the executive side, on the military side, on the list. and now they are put the pressure to curb the judiciary, to there needs to go there to, to, to the way they wanted. so they, they, they are putting the pressure on this judge in order to get it that way they wanted. they even said we me, we need to adjust the course of the investigation. what does it mean to adjust the course of the investigation? that means if justice is not the way i see it, i don't want that. i refuse it. and we're looking about judges about justice. we're talking about very building block because this is the value upon which should build

the society. so because there is only of some, let me put a very important point to rami heard from me has bullet or state within a state, and they're trying to now change the course of judiciary. do you agree, disagree? i think that's pretty accurate, has about last grown so strong over the last whatever, almost 40 years because the state was weak. it's has been, was birth started in the south of love and then after the israelis occupied the south. but the genesis has been lower and she activists in the south who are working for social justice and improving the positions of she. so we're really like 3rd class citizens, back of forties and fifties. so grew because the state was not playing the role. it should of treating all its citizens equally,

a developing all the areas in the country equally and more importantly, protecting the country from foreign aggression, but has been the brew so strong that it became stronger than the states military. and it's not just stronger than the new states, as well as the only military group that has force israel twice to aspire at the un security council. that means quite an astounding. busy situation, its military strength is enormous. and the fact that it's linked to iran very closely creates big problems if it was a purely lebanese institution which is or celebrities, institution. but as links are strategic, very, very close with iran, many lebanese who don't like it, criticize it because they see it as an appendage of iranian foreign policy. and iranian foreign policy has been under and recent years to have a collection of strategic relationships with groups all around them, at least,

and succeeded in doing that. has this network books and non state actors as well as some states like the syrian government. and therefore, it can project the power or its interests around the region, and many level needs are not comfortable with that. so it's a delicate position of being very powerful, right, and being very what it does. but what one of the things that doesn't do very well as political contestation and compromise, it's spirit and she want to bringing jessica on this point. jessica, well we spoke in october 2019. during those process, you had very strong words to say about the way lebanese society and politics was actually set up. you were calling for complete radical change of the confessional system. of the way lebanese politics is, is naturally, constitutionally sectarian. is this one of the reasons you think that has bullet are able to maintain such power and such employment?

so the only reason is that actually are a non groove, and they have a cookie years is gone. john's of all the institutions of that a bob lake. so we're seeing that there's a dominant party now, and they used to be nuts on the forefront of government. but in the past, if the government has been so much on the forefront, so that put them into a different situation with their own constituents as well. because at some point they also have to be it to provide basic services being on the forefront of government. they can be hold on to the counter, but for the shortages and basic services, so that, that is also a game changer for them as well. so let me know that where is the lebanese elemy and all of this, there, the one symbol of lebanese national unity. and yet this is not strong statement coming out from them, and certainly the,

not out in the streets. definitely today the army is booked under a lot of pressure. however, however, the ship, it's order from the government and the problem that the government is. ready to release the thoughts of the owner of behavior in front of the appropriation firm. how the president of the constant, mr. prime minister. what was his reaction one day when you was getting into the onto the, to the order. it's sort of the fire, but he's all what you have to say that i'm sorry. what happened? so here we are in the song of the government that is supposed to get the order on that is our owners,

and they are the to the they call a concert balance that's up to the bullets guess that i could be a power. it's growing by today today, it's more powerful than that and no government can stop to him. this is why i think that the only way forward is to like an independent government to be strong. hold them to the power of government that can give orders to you, but in order to stop this slide to are unknown because the levy, if these incidents yesterday. so anything, it shows how much approach is a piece. lemme,

and the situation in lemme, and what is at stake, i am saying, is that really the coordinate value upon which, or the social piece is relying on a glass. i mean, any blow to that just is today. it is, it brought to that final home to live and all that the strong change in a very city economic crisis because the only way. ringback out of the prices is to have some kind of package and there's some kind of international aid and best condition by fighting production. i'm can fight corruption though it was, i mean, you make a very good point. actually, i was going to come on to international support rami, i'm going to bring you in here. the u. s. has pledged $64000000.00 to the lebanese army in the wake of this particular crisis. but what sammy is saying is that with a government that so divided it actually effectively makes

a lebanese only useless. well, i wouldn't say useless now, the army still plays an important girl. and in fact, over the last 1015 years since the syrians were pushed out of lebanon by popular rebellion, i mean, they still have influences, but they don't run the country like they used to. so they, the political system has really deteriorated and has been run by an oligarchy of sectarian leaders. and corruption has increased and all the public services have deteriorated and, and that's why we have this terrible situation. and then the central bank was in cahoots with this process too, but the army has been rebuilt has been since the civil war has, has played a big role. busy internally they've in the recent years, they've quickly come out and been deployed whenever there was any sector intention of fighting. and they've been doing this more and more like they did yesterday they,

they came out quickly. they separated the 2 fighting groups, whoever the other group was and they give the citizens a sense that somebody is going to try to work for the well, they have the whole country and not allow the country to slip back into the active area washer. so i think we have to notice that the army has done a better job over the years has increased, but it has limits about how far it can go because it is right also has like ever moved the other institutions are pre, has a balance of area and leaders within it and the soldiers so it can like in the civil war fracture along area lines and that's. busy something that people want to avoid at all costs, just kind of aid. once again, both i guess the talking about the fact that the government does need to shake up something you've been saying since those october 2019 protest those protests,

let's be honest, didn't change anything. this protest may well have an impact on the judiciary, but it's very, very different thing. so the thing that you were protesting about which was change in government every go any hope that something might change soon. are you losing hope? i'm not using her. i do have hope now it's like lifting for the 1st on the judiciary system actually stepping up at least in an attempt to hold someone comfortable and which doesn't happen in the past. the happens in the civil war. so that's the precedent for living. and i'm and upcoming induction because the husband might lose a christian cover, most of hope will about generation and change. i find that it's too soon to get to the process. none of the professors have to be got into power. we haven't had any change in the political scene since then. the governments have been unstable, but also have adopted a policy of inaction. we have disastrous impact needs,

and maybe that's what i'm trying to change. the push back. we're running out of time, but i do want to put your point to, i guess, in barry's on in doha, just very, very quickly saw me know that is this i moment of the judiciary really standing up for itself is jessica just said, i didn't get the question, so is this is, this is jessica just said the judiciary standing up for itself and saying we are, we are actually what we're witnessing. what we're missing is a kind of, of awakening of the judges. because it's not only about the judge to be taught before the judge. what did, where was it judge judge, someone who was forced to resign because he did not accept to abide by the rule of a prevailing for sure. i'm running out. i do want to have some,

i do want to hear from rami on this point as well, sorry, just running out. so i'm on testing say from all 3 of you rami is this a new moment for the lebanese to dish, or it's a, it's a very important walmart toward judge guitar, whether he represents a bigger movement under judiciary or not, we'll have to wait and see. but this is really historic for somebody like him, to face up to the pressures against them, try to get him to resign or it's a, it's going to be a momentous decision. or when does, if a decision was made to have him resign and be replaced, or to keep or pushing on with his investigation? i want to thank all i guess. so me know that ronnie hurry and jessica bate, i want to thank you to for watching. you can see the program again any time by visiting our website out there at dot com, a further discussion. go to our facebook page at facebook dot com, forward slash inside story. and you can also join the conversation on twitter. we are at a j info story from me him ron count and the whole team head i for now. ah

ah, this is al jazeera. ah, again, i am peace adobe. you're watching the news. i live for my headquarters here in doha, coming up in the next 60 minutes. british conservative m. p 's, the david amos is killed and a knife attack while meeting constituents. a 25 year old man has been arrested. a bomb attack in afghanistan targets the sheer mosque during friday. prayers killing more than 40 people lebanon.