Massive Lebanese demonstrations demanding withdrawal of Syrian forces
Lebanon-Syria, Politics, 2/22/2005

Scores of thousands of Lebanese demonstrated yesterday in the downtown of Beirut at the request of the opposition, chanting slogans calling for sacking the government and the withdrawal of the Syrian forces.

The demonstrators, who wore red and white scarfs and raised banners deploring Damascus and the allied government, gathered near the explosion site which claimed the life of the former Lebanese prime minister Rafic Hariri. This event was in memory of one week after the Hariri assassination.

The demonstration started from the site of the explosion, led by opposition parliamentarians towards Hariri's tomb near al-Shuhadaa ( martyrs) square, passing through the headquarters of the parliament and the UN premises where their representatives handed over a petition demanding UN investigations of the Hariri assassination.

Several opposition parliamentarians observed a sit-in before the parliament and the sit-in was converted into a speech rally in which they said that what they called the "Independence uprising" that has been launched today will stop only when the government is toppled.

The demonstration was held calmly under the watch of the army which was deployed together with the security forces intensively in Beirut and along the route of the demonstrations. On the coastal road leading to the south of the country, the army installed check points that slow down the flow of cars heading to the capital Beirut from al-Shouf mountain and towns of south Lebanon.

The opposition on Sunday refused the call of the government and parties inclined to dialogue and threatened more sit-in. The chairman of the Socialist Progressive party Walid Junblat said any dialogue is but a second assassination for Rafic Hariri. But he showed readiness for a direct dialogue with Damascus over the implementation of the Taif accord and the evacuation of the Syrian forces and dismantling of their intelligence.

Previous Stories:
  The Observer: Israeli and U.S. allegations make no sense   (2/21/2005)
  Lebanon stresses strong relations with Syria   (2/21/2005)
  Junblat prefers direct dialogue with Damascus   (2/21/2005)

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