During the brutal 15-year civil war in Lebanon, Marie Noujaim had family members repeatedly shot at and caught in bombings.

It wasn’t until 1987, as the war ramped up to its bloody climax, that Noujaim fled to Waterbury with her two children. The city was a haven where they could safely take root with family and a strong Lebanese community.

Now 60 and retired from a banking career, Noujaim traveled to New York City twice in November to join protests urging the ouster of political elites who’ve run the Lebanese economy into the ground.

Lebanon has been wracked with protests since early October, which are threatening to spiral into violence in the faction-prone nation.

On Sunday, U.S. Sen. Christopher S. Murphy, D-Conn., will visit the Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Catholic Church hall in Waterbury to talk about his recent trip to Lebanon and a path forward. Noujaim and her family will be in attendance.

“The government is corrupt and the president now and his son-in-law are like from Hezbollah,” Noujaim said. “We don’t want war in our country. There is a lot of corruption. They stole a lot of money and people are now hungry.”

Lebanon suffered through a brutal civil war between 1975 and 2000. It’s estimated by some to have claimed more than 100,000 lives.

Waterbury and Danbury both have large Lebanese populations. Waterbury Alderman George Noujaim, Marie’s son, estimated there are about 7,000 to 10,000 people of Lebanese descent centered in both communities. He was 9 years old when his family moved to Waterbury.

“Obviously, we would love for the country to help our Lebanese army and people trying to make things better,” George Noujaim said. “We want the U.S. to back the Lebanese army and back the protestors in getting the existing regime out of office.”

Murphy traveled to Lebanon Nov. 25 and 26, meeting with civic, business and military leaders; U.S. military trainers; academics and Syrian refugees. Murphy, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he was motivated, in part, by an unexplained hold on $105 million in military aid.

The United States has tried to build up Lebanon’s centralized military over the past decade as an honest broker among the various political and religious groups, and a counterweight to militias, particularly those run by the Iran-sponsored Hezbollah.

That aid was quietly released after Thanksgiving, something Murphy said might be partially motivated by political pressure generated by his visit. He’s pushed for an explanation on the holdup of the congressionally approved funds, and for their release, for months.

Attempts to reach a White House representative Thursday were not immediately successful.

Murphy said he’d like to see the country collaborate with its European partners, particularly France, in advocating for a technocratic government, rather than maintaining the leadership of “the same old political families.”

Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri stepped down Oct. 29 amid mass protests. But Hariri is eyeing a return to the prime minister’s spot following failure of another candidate to gain political support, according to reporting by The New York Times.

Murphy faulted President Trump for clashing with U.S. allies and failing to send a unified message on future leadership.

“The U.S. shouldn’t proscribe leadership for them, but we could be working closely with the French to help identify a set of leaders to step into Hariri’s shoes,” Murphy said.

Murphy will host a discussion about his trip to Lebanon at the Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Catholic Church hall, 8 East Mountain Road, from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. on Sunday.