The head of the Free Patriotic Movement, Representative Gebran Bassil, said in a speech during the celebration of the youth sector and the committee of veterans and supporters in the “Movement,” that the anniversary of August 7 is neither a station nor a memory, but rather a path and a procession, and it sums up many meanings, the most important of which is that freedom has a price, and whoever wants to live freely must know that it has a price. Bassil stressed that "dignity is not begged, but imposed, and this is what is most important," considering that "the path we experienced occurred at a time when we were alone, without protection, and in the presence of the occupation army and a political class submissive to it, while we were without any cover, and we were accused at the time of being agents of Israel." He pointed out that "at that stage we were resisting and struggling without accountability, and we knew that every day we were vulnerable to being targeted, and at every station we passed they would say: The movement has ended." He added: "They followed our entire journey, and we have always lived with our freedom and dignity." He pointed out that “whoever is in the movement for personal interests is not in his true psyche, a son of the 7 August School.” At that time there was no account, and we were proud that we were arrested on August 7.” He stressed that “sick minds need someone to be their guardian, and you see that their owners are today with Israel, tomorrow with Syria, and then against Syria, and then they return to Israel.” Those who are with Israel today may abandon it tomorrow, and then they insult Iran first and second America, and each of them goes to a place, but the movement only chooses Lebanon, and that is why it is patriotic and free.” He continued: “We are with Lebanon’s interest, and we are not with one team against another. We do not have to be with anyone. People will be with us because we are with Lebanon. Whoever is in the Iran or Israel axis is free to make his choice, and we are free to make our choice, and our choice is Lebanon.” He believed that it was "a path that we can practice in the movement, which is our school in the homeland." He pointed out that “politics is present in our daily lives, in the electricity, water and road bills. The Free Patriotic Movement was, each time, fighting from a different position: once outside power when General Michel Aoun was in exile, and we were in the August 7 prison, and again from within Parliament, the government, and Baabda Palace. And every time we fought for one idea, which is Lebanon’s freedom, sovereignty and independence. He added: “Yesterday we called it ‘protecting Lebanon’, and freedom, sovereignty and independence are what ensure this protection.”