London Indymedia

Biggest Opposition Demo Swears to Break Syria's Stranglehold and Lahoud's Regime

Mark dameli | 14.03.2005 16:55 | Culture | Globalisation | Indymedia | London | Oxford

Lebanon's opposition staged the biggest show of force in the nation's modern history from slain ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's graveside Monday, taking a thunderous oath to break Syria's ruthless stranglehold and tear apart President Lahoud's police state of "secret service phantoms."
Between 1.5 and 2 million opposition activists converged on Beirut's downtown Martyrs Square and surrounding neighborhoods to mark the lapse of one month on Hariri's assassination. They shouted slogans demanding the resignation of all security commanders in Lebanon because of dereliction of duty in stopping the assassination.



The demonstration was so huge that Syria's loyalists led by
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's Hizbullah and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri's Amal movement, who pose as standard-bearers of the Shiite community were dwarfed into an overwhelmed minority.

What made the trick was the massive turnout of the Sunni sect onto the streets of the capital to defy Syria's tutelage. Crowds from densely-populated Sunni neighborhoods stood shoulder-to-shoulder with opposition activists from various Christian communities and Walid Jumblat's Druze sect, chanting "we want the truth, we want sovereignty, we want Syria out." The Sunnis make up the biggest bloc among Lebanon's eligible voters.

One poster brandished among an ocean of Lebanese flags read "long live Syria inside Syria." Another poster read "President Lahoud, rest assured your turn is coming," a reference that he might be overthrown over Hariri's assassination.

Legislator Marwan Hamadeh, who survived an assassination attempt in October, formally opened the sit-in protest by declaring that the massive opposition was "writing the end of President Lahoud's police state and its Syrian backers." He drew thunderous cheers when he announced "this is the end to the one whose regime has been extended and to those who extended his regime." Hamadeh, a former minister under Hariri's premiership, said "the days of the secret service, the days of the ghosts are numbered."

Another moving address was delivered to the crowds by An Nahar's General Manager Gebran Tueni who declared "you are the biggest party in Lebanon. You are the party of Lebanon." He left the impression that the opposition Party of Lebanon was bigger than the Party of God.

Hundreds of thousands trekked overland and by sea in bus and motorboat convoys to fill the sprawling Martyrs Square and the nearby Riad Solh Square to the brim. Thousands upon thousands assembled at rooftops and nearby highway passes in what old-timers said was the biggest demonstration since Lebanon's 1943 independence.

There were outspoken charges before the demonstration leveled by opposition leaders, accusing the Lahoud regime of standing behind the assassination.

"The secret services have become a death machine, a death mill toiling without letup," had said Hariri's parliament bloc member Walid Ido.

Ido spoke on Hariri's Future-TV network screen a few hours after ex-Defense Minister Mohsen Dalloul directly accused the Lahoud regime of involvement in Hariri's assassination, revealing that a police unit assigned to protect the ex-premier was withdrawn a few days before the crime.

"Hariri had worked out an agreement with President Lahoud to have the police unit assigned to protect and escort him as a former prime minister. The force was actually put on the job and it functioned from Hariri's Koreitem mansion," Dalloul said in an interview aired by the F-TV Sunday night.

"When Hariri's aides managed to reach the official responsible for the protection unit, he said Hariri has plenty of money and he can hire his own security apparatus," said Dalloul, a parliament member who served as defense minister in one of Hariri's governments.

"The crime took place a few days later and now officials are boasting that 'the crime is behind us,' which means they have committed the crime," Dalloul added.



Beirut, Updated 14 Mar 05, 17:20

Mark dameli
- Homepage: http://www.lgic.org/en/help_syria.php

Comments

Hide the following 12 comments

It begins

14.03.2005 17:48

The winds of democracy are blowing through the Middle East, the old men are losing their grip while the people are taking control. Hamas and Hezbollah are fighting to maintain their position but are seeing the people of Lebanon reject Syrian supported violence and embrace democratic freedom.

What has been key about this situation has been the rejection of the wishes of the Mullahs, the people are calling for a free, secular, democratic Lebanon.

Other Arab nations are facing similar pressure from their citizens, first Iraq, then Lebanon where next I wonder - Kuwait ? Saudi Arabia ? Oman ?

Jack K


Clever use of fish-eye - guaranteed to make crowd look bigger

14.03.2005 18:54

Blair ignored the biggest protest in British history so why the heck should the Lebanese government take any notice of this U.S. and Israeli sponsored rabble?

And check out the site this sinister propagandist links to - its history of Lebanon sanitises Israel's invasion of Lebanon, the slaughter of Palestinians at Sabra and Shatila and the destruction of much of Beirut being completely ignored.

JudaeoFascist propaganda from the U.S. backed "Lebanese American Information Center" is what we have here folks.

And now doubts are being raised that Hariri was murdered by suicide bomber the finger starts to point at Israel, who really want to get their hands on Lebanons water resources.

Niether Sharon or Bush give a damn about democracy for the Lebanese people.

Aunty Beeb


Free Syria

14.03.2005 19:16

Many of us are working for a free Syria with democracy for all. The B'ath will fall in Syria as it falled in Iraq.

Reform Party of Syria believes that political despotism, economic deprivation, and social stagnation in the Middle East have contributed significantly to the increase in domestic and international terrorism

RPS embraces accountability and transparency, human rights and freedom of expression, pulling out of Lebanon, and peaceful co-existence with our neighbors including Israel.


 http://reformsyria.org/

Dr. Mohammed al-Gaida
- Homepage: http://reformsyria.org/


democracy

14.03.2005 19:48

>>Niether Sharon or Bush give a damn about democracy for the Lebanese people.

once established, 'democracy' can be bought. this is why american free market gangsters like it so much. societies breaking out of one kind of oppression should beware falling into another.

- -


Syria ethnic cleansing against people of Lebanon

14.03.2005 21:32

We Lebanese from all ethnic groups; Arabs, Phoenicians and Armenians, and from all religions Christians , Muslims and Jews reject the Syrian occupation for Lebanon. We Support the UN Resolution 1559 against Syria to force its fascist regime to stop its barbaric acts against the Lebanese people. We rejected before the Israeli occupation for our land as well. Syrian ethnic cleansing in occupied Lebanon The Syrian regime has been working on changing the ethnic and religious demography of Lebanon by replacing its people. Since 1990, Syrian occupation of Lebanon has forced more than 35% of the Lebanese to leave their country. The Syrian-appointed government in Lebanon naturalized around half a million Syrians and Palestinians that is equal to 20% of the Lebanon population This mass displacement project is accompanied with regular persecution, arresting, kidnapping, torturing and assassinating of the Lebanese.

peter
- Homepage: http://www.2la.org/lebanon/ee/terrorlb.htm


No trust

14.03.2005 21:53

I never trust anyone who talks down democracy. The people of Lebanon are rising up and taking control of their country, they are pushing out their Syrian colonialist occupiers and you decide this is some sort of Israeli / US backed plot.

Does the thought of Lebanese and Israeli people working together scare you that much ?

NickI Neve


Last time they worked together they massacred civilians

15.03.2005 00:08

Check out the history. Last time Israel and their Christian fascist allies in Lebanon worked together there was mass slaughter across the country

Israel doesn't want democracy in Lebanon - it wants Lebanon's water. Syrians leave, Hezbollah disarm, Israel invade = bloodbath. It's the war criminal Sharon's speciality. Many Lebanese fear this, with good reason.

Get Israel out of West Bank, Gaza, East Jerusalem, Golan Heights and all the land it ruthlessly occupies, ignoring UN resolutions for 38 years!

Get Israel to destroy it's massive nuclear arsenal then -

Hezbollah have no excuse to carry arms, Syria no excuse to occupy Lebanon, and Iran no excuse to get the bomb.

Instead Israel keeps its WMD, gets more from U.S., builds a wall bigger than Berlin's, and continues to steal Palestinian land on behalf of maniacs who actually believe they are the "chosen ones".

When Israel changes then the world will believe it's "democracy" talk.

Aunty Beeb


O fcourse

15.03.2005 08:13

Of course the ultimate horror for the anti Jewish Left has started to come about Arabs and Jews working, together living in peace and the men of violence isolated and ignored. What excuse will you use then to justify your anti Jewish agenda ?

Laughing


Great to see

15.03.2005 11:26

I have to say it is great to say how the radical Left have been so wrong footed by this. They have been seen as out of touch and irelevent.

Bill


Old Bill....

15.03.2005 22:23

If the left are so 'out of touch and irrelevant' why the fuck are you here wasting yours and our time?

Oi!


its fun

16.03.2005 13:53

because my little bigoted friend its fun to watch you all squirm as you realise how the ordinary people of the region have sidelined you.

LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL

Bill


Bring back the war!

19.03.2005 12:11

Here's a small taste of what's to come when your "democracy" returns to Beirut:
 http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4877389,00.html

Non-bigoted


Kollektives

Birmingham
Cambridge
Liverpool
London
Oxford
Sheffield
South Coast
Wales
World

Other UK IMCs
Bristol/South West
London
Northern Indymedia
Scotland

London Topics

Afghanistan
Analysis
Animal Liberation
Anti-Nuclear
Anti-militarism
Anti-racism
Bio-technology
Climate Chaos
Culture
Ecology
Education
Energy Crisis
Fracking
Free Spaces
Gender
Globalisation
Health
History
Indymedia
Iraq
Migration
Ocean Defence
Other Press
Palestine
Policing
Public sector cuts
Repression
Social Struggles
Technology
Terror War
Workers' Movements
Zapatista

London IMC

Desktop

About | Contact
Mission Statement
Editorial Guidelines
Publish | Help

Search :