To combat the use of gun shows at weddings, the Permanent Peace Movement created a fake service company called “Eleguns.” The company exhibited at the largest wedding fair in Beirut, Lebanon. The purpose of Eleguns is to create awareness on the lethality and illegality of having such celebratory gunfire.
Crackdown on Celebratory Gunfire in Lebanon
Shooting has become a popular mode of expressing emotion and commemorating special events. The examples range from reactions to news, weddings, or even as a response to school test results. The tradition of firing celebratory bullets into the sky is not only illegal but claims countless innocent lives every year. The Permanent Peace Movement reported that 90 people died due to stray bullets in 2017. One could point back to the Lebanese Civil War from 1975 to 1990 as a source of the excessive unlicensed weapons, plaguing the safety and security of civilians in Lebanon today.
As a result of these incidents, the police made more than 130 arrests in June and July 2016. Article 75 of the Firearms Act of 1959 outlaws discharging a weapon in residential areas or in a crowd, regardless of the legality of the firearm. This law was then updated on October 27th, 2016 as the older version was not effective. Now, in case of death, there is an increase in the potential fine at 675,000 LBP ($460) per month. Also, the substitution of fines for prison time has been abolished. The law condemns the use of firearms at weddings with a penalty of 6 months to 3 years in prison. Manslaughter through the act of celebratory gunfire carries a minimum of 10 years in jail, along with a hefty fine.
Permanent Peace Movement’s Creative Campaign Against Gunfire
The Permanent Peace Movement is an independent Lebanese non-governmental organization. It was established in 1986 during the Lebanese civil war by a group of university students. It is a member of many regional and international networks working in the area of peace, non-violence and conflict prevention. The Permanent Peace Movement works with various sectors of society to help with conflict resolution and advocacy for gun control.
The fabricated Eleguns company chose to advertise themselves at the 2017 expo “Wedding Folies”. At their booth, they displayed the types and specifications of the “weapons,” as well as the selections of shooters who could perform the “celebratory show.”
In an online promotional video, young couples approached the booth with disbelief that they would display such an act so publicly. Some declined Elegun’s service, saying, “the boys from our village are always ready”, or “We don’t need you. We can get them for free”. After learning that the company would not be held liable for injury or death, one elected to “do it himself”. Others who seemed interested in the service shortly found out that the company did not really exist. They were then asked to sign a pledge for an unarmed wedding. The pledge also asked them to promise to report any illegal shooting incidents that they encounter in in the future.
Online customers could also look at Elegun’s online website to shop. One would scroll through and select the shooter, the various guns, and even the gunman’s dress. But as they enter the checkout page, they see that the only expenses are the “lives of friends and family”. This initiative to stop this illegal and deadly tradition additionally uses social media platforms. They use the hashtag #gunfreewedding on Twitter, and Elegun further promotes their message on Facebook and Instagram.
Thousands Sign Gun-Free Wedding Pledge
1442 couples have signed the pledge at the Wedding Follies event to have a gun free wedding. Out of the 1442 couples, 1003 couples signed without much hesitation, but about 439 couples signed the pledge after showing some interest in the Eleguns service. They changed their minds after learning that celebratory gunfire was now illegal. 97 couples who visited the stand took the newly learned information and passed it on to their friends. Also, 30% of the people, who visited the stand, changed their mind.
There were a few reasons why couples wouldn’t sign the pledge. One groom said, “I would be lying if I sign”. Another said, “we want to shoot at our wedding and we don’t see it as wrong”, and “this is a once in a lifetime event, it’s our tradition, we want to do it”. One didn’t sign the pledge as he was offended when he learned that Eleguns was a fake company.
The online campaign created a shock factor at first. The Eleguns’ ads were screenshotted and shared across different social media channels. Many were wondering about the veracity of Eleguns. 3000 visitors came to the website in the first 48 hours. The campaign was supported by a lot of politicians and influencers. The Prime Minister even tweeted about it.
A further way to promote the cessation of celebratory gunfire is to work with religious figures in Lebanon. The creators of Eleguns are trying to have priests and pastors to talk about the dangers of this tradition at sermons as well.
In India, an organization used fake money to address issues of corruption. Tactics such as these need to be used in tandem with other tactics, such as marketing, promotion, social media campaigns, and other forms of awareness raising. The success of these tactics stem from their ability to leverage existing laws prohibiting the harmful practice, reach a large number of people and engage them in a creative way.
