Showdown in Beirut
Looks like Washington has another spontaneous revolution on their hands.
Hundred of thousands of pro-Syrian followers gathered Friday in Beirut's downtown area around the governmental palace, calling on Prime Minister Fouad Seniora to step down.
As the speeches in the main part of the demonstration ended, protesters began blocking all roads to where the government usually hold weekly meetings in downtown Beirut.
'We will block all roads leading to where the cabinet meetings wil be held with our tents and sleep in them,' an organizer said. 'This is part of our next phase of plan.'
How do you stop this many people from getting what they want?
Army troops and armoured vehicles were heavily deployed around the perimeter of the palace and barbed wire reaching nearly two metres high encircled the premises as the huge demonstration went ahead.
Sheikh Naeem Kassem, deputy head of the Hezbollah movement which was the main organisation involved in the protest, declared earlier that the protest would not end until Seniora's cabinet fell.
'Out, out Seniora! We want a national-unity government,' chanted the crowd bearing Lebanese flags. They had been urged to sing the Lebanese national anthem as the demonstration started at 1300 GMT.
Hezbollah's closest ally, hardline Maronite Christian leader Michel Aoun, called on the protestors in an interview with Hezbollah's al-Manar television to continue the protest overnight.
'I call on Seniora and his ministers to resign from the government immediately and form a national unity government. this is the only solution,' he said.
'This government will not take Lebanon to the abyss. We have several steps (we can take) if this government does not respond, but I say you will not be able to rule Lebanon with an American administration.'
Anti-American songs were sung and parts of speeches by the radical Hezbollah movement's leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah were broadcast, in which Nasrallah railed at Seniora's anti-Syrian government. One song went: 'America is the one behind our division, they are the vampires.'
The crowds filled a large square facing the United Nations offices and the governmental palace, plus Martyrs Square where late premier Rafik Hariri - who was assassinated on February 14, 2005 - is buried.
Martyrs Square is where thousands of anti-Syrian followers had gathered last week to mourn the killing of government minister Pierre Gemayel, gunned down along with his bodyguard in a Christian neighbourhood by unidentified gunmen.
Organizers from the Lebanese Shiite militant groups Amal and Hezbollah told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa that they expected the number of protestors to reach more than a million because their followers were coming from all across Lebanon.
'Lebanon has never witnessed such a crowd,' Hezbollah organizer Ghassan Darwish said. Some 5,000 demonstrators would remain in the square to continue an open-ended sit-in.
Civil defence trucks equipped with water cannon were positioned near the governmental palace and soldiers patrolled rooftops, keeping an eye on the crowds.
The White House and their merry band of covert criminals suck.
We've gotta put these animals on a short leash before they destroy the world.
YES ! The last thing Washington would ever intend to see is happening in Beirut, REAL LIVE DEMOCRACY !! Vive La Revolucion ! A new Bastille Day on my Birthday ! Who could ask for more ? I must run and wake my dear, sweet Esmerelda....Verily, Quasimodo
Hezbollah Takes a Page From the Playbook on Color Revolutions
by Trish Schuh
Dec 1, 2006
Muslims Weekly
Indymedia
UNITED NATIONS- UN Ambassador John Bolton said the current demonstrations in Beirut are consistent with Nasrallah's [Hezbollah's Secretary General] intent to bring down the democratically elected government of Lebanon. FOX news estimated the demonstration today at "well over a million," CNN estimated "a few thousand to a couple hundred thousand."
Bolton: "We obviously hope the demonstrations will be peaceful- people have a right to express their political opinions, but in terms of this being part of the Iran-Syrian inspired coup d état' against the government of Lebanon, we're obviously quite concerned about it."
MW: "But Sir what about the Color Revolutions that the US does around the world on a regular basis to bring down other governments? Some Hezbollah officials have said inspiration for their techniques were based on US style color revolutions. They are even using the color orange."
Bolton: "Well good for them. The point is that the government of Lebanon is democratically elected-
MW: So was HAMAS-
Bolton: -the Hezbollah organization is a terrorist organization.
Bolton omitted that Hezbollah is also a democratically elected bloc in the Lebanese Parliament, and has several democratically elected Ministers.
if americans mind their own business, and solve the problem at home, every bad immoral acts are all exported from US, every product that US exports are in very bad quality, and they poison the world, MARLBORO, McDONALDS, PEPSI and COKE, KFC with his secret receopt, hahahahahahaha
and GRAFFITI, and worst of all the RAP , i cannot even call it a music. they are the terrorists, ask what they did to their local peaceful red indians, almost wiped off on the face of the earth, to claim the good old USA. hahahahaha, who was used the ATOMIC bomb on Japan, killed thousands of Koreans, and then Vietnamese, ahhhh I forgot almost every city in germany was completely bombed by heroic US airforce. and most of all twice massacred the iraqis. all under the name of Democracy. and peace, its a joke of a century, AIPAC elected and reelected that smart BUSCH , they knew that they can manipulate him in a second, and they are successful, I wonder Iraq or Lebanon were far from Israel, I don't think all of these would've happened.
VIVA Amerika.
The sad fact that Amerika has lost the dream of real democracy doesn't make the real idea any less of an ideal to strive for. And the same might be said for the seemingly hopeless idea of "peace", which we Amerikans love to bandy about like so many smoldering Marlboros or Kentucky Fried Chicken legs. Especially at this time of year, but it's still worth saying one more time, before the torch blows out--Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men...Especially in Gaza, Iraq and Lebanon.---from Birthday Boy
There was a counter demonstration just as large AGAINST Syria following this....why was it not mentioned? I don't think this represents democracy because the only people getting killed in Lebanon during times of peace are anti-syrian politicians. Draw your own conclusions.
provide a link to this so-called equally large anti-Syrian demonstration that followed this one.
Otherwise, we can assume that you're just another one of those 100,000 whiners for war crimes who would like nothing more than to see every Arab country destroyed and/or subjugated to Zionist will - Lebanon and Syria included.
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=2675489&CMP=OTC-RSSFeed...
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=23441&only&rss
Thats the most recent article on anti-syrian demonstrations. Here's one from 2005:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,251-1525589,00.html
Syria's occupation wasn't exactly legal or awesome either...kinda of like Israel's. Not saying Israel is right, just drawing slight parrallels. Of course Israel is a helluva lot worse in terms of brutalness of occupation.
Thanks for the stereotype...is it my turn to make one up about you?
it was MUCH smaller, and it was a funeral procession that included much more than just the "anti-Syrian" camp.
moreover, you have to be kidding if you think I'm going to take anything posted at little green footballs seriously.
HizbAllah's demonstration is still taking place and no significant anti-Syrian demonstration that I have heard of has, thus far, followed it.
I don't believe that the Syrians are responsible for Gemayel's death. Just like I don't believe they are responsible for the death of Rafiq Hariri.
It is Israel. Only Israel. Who else would benefit from such assassinations in Lebanon but Israel and the USA?
QRSWAVE:
I am not able to put my name under the box. How do you do it?
Ellendra
and log in before you comment and your name shows up automatically.
One time, I forgot to log in and my comment showed up anonymous.