Thousands flock to Hariri (Lebanon) protest

[frigidmagi]

BBC

Tens of thousands of Lebanese have taken part in a rally in Beirut marking the second anniversary of the killing of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
The pro-government supporters, who accuse Syria of involvement in Mr Hariri's death, converged on Martyrs' Square in the city centre.

A fence was built to separate them from opposition activists, but the rally passed off without major skirmishes.

It came a day after bombings near Beirut killed three people.

Eighteen others were injured in the twin bus blasts near Bikfaya, a mainly Christian town in the hills north of Beirut.

The government majority coalition behind Prime Minister Fouad Siniora has already accused Syria of being behind the bus attacks, holding it "fully responsible for this despicable crime".


Supporters said the blasts were designed to scare people away from Wednesday's commemoration rally. Organisers vowed it would go ahead.

Many of those attending carried Lebanese flags or blue balloons, the colour of the anti-Syrian faction led by Mr Hariri and now by his son Saad. Others wore red caps commemorating the slain politician, reading "We really miss you."

One woman attending the rally told the BBC why she had decided to attend: "We're here because of the martyr prime minister, because we love him and want to follow his path," she said.

"We want culture and education not arms and streets [barricaded with] tyres, for sure. We want to learn and reach our goals and lead a normal life like everyone else.

Avoiding violence

President Emile Lahoud, a staunch ally of Syria, also condemned the bomb attacks, saying they undermined attempts at compromise.

"Every time the Lebanese seem close to an agreement, enemies of Lebanon commit another crime," he said.

The BBC's Jim Muir in Beirut says that the situation is very volatile following Tuesday's bombing, but that thousands of police are on hand in Martyrs' Square and the surrounding streets to ensure that this rally does not descend into violence.

A fence of razor wire was erected to stop pro-government supporters from mingling with the Hezbollah-backed activists who have been besieging the prime minister's office since December.

Our correspondent walked amongst the tents of the Hezbollah protesters this morning and said that it seemed people there were also keen to avoid any kind of confrontation.

UN accord

Political and sectarian tensions have been running high in Lebanon, erupting in clashes in January between supporters and opponents of the government.

The crisis stems back to November when six pro-Syrian ministers resigned primarily over the endorsement by the Cabinet of a UN tribunal to try suspects in the Hariri bombing.

Syria denied any involvement in the car bomb attack which killed Mr Hariri but outrage at the time forced Damascus to end its 29-year military presence in Lebanon.


Tuesday's bus blasts claimed three lives near Bikfaya
A UN probe has implicated top Syrian officials and their Lebanese allies in the assassination.

Last week the UN signed an accord that would create an international tribunal to try suspects in the killing.

However, that must be ratified in the deeply divided Lebanese parliament.

Syrian ally Hezbollah wants to capitalise on what it regards as its victory against Israel in last summer's conflict and take part in a government in which it would hold the power of veto.