Posted on 03/02/2005 6:48:36 AM PST by Eurotwit
BEIRUT: In defiance of an official ban against demonstrations and an orchestrated attempt to block highways leading to the capital, tens of thousands of people converged on Martyrs' Square in Downtown Beirut on Monday, many of whom had been there for the entire night.
"They said they will prevent people from protesting as of Monday 5 a.m.," said Adnan Zaghlouli on Sunday evening. "We gathered from tonight to join tomorrow's protest."
Zaghlouli and his friends' left Tripoli on Sunday afternoon after hearing Interior Minister Suleiman Franjieh's statement calling on the Internal Security Forces "to take all necessary steps to preserve security and order and prevent demonstrations and gatherings on Monday."
As soldiers manning barriers in central Beirut prevented hundreds of protesters from getting into the square, those already inside quickly came to their aid. Gathering in groups of 50, 60 and sometimes 100, demonstrators distracted discretely cooperative soldiers by rushing them in a staged fury, while those on the outside snuck in.
Mario Saad, 18, said: "Today we are calling for the government's resignation. Even, if the parliamentary procedures fail, the people have made their choice; they want a government free of foreign influence."
At around 11:30 p.m., the highway from Jounieh leading to the capital was blocked by a convoy of Lebanese Forces and Free Patriotic Movement supporters with more than 200 cars headed to the protest.
"We are all together here to say that we have had it," said Myriam Khoury and Danielle Kattar, both 24.
Kattar added: "We came here to express our opinion, and no one can intimidate
us anymore."
Khoury said: "We have had enough of being governed by incompetent people. We deserve to be represented by a new political class that stands for us."
Former Finance Minister and MP Fouad Siniora, a member of Hariri's Beirut Dignity Bloc, was visibly impressed by the scene unfolding before him in Martyrs' Square.
He said: "Hariri has for the first time united the country; he has created a base."
Opposition MP Nayla Mouawad drew thundering cheers from the gathered demonstrators Sunday night when she announced that three ministers had resigned form the government. Even though she later withdrew her statement, the crowd's enthusiasm was not affected.
Sarkis Doueihi, a member of the Bristol opposition gathering from Zghorta, said: "It is my first time to participate in a demonstration. Although it does not really look like a demonstration, it is a clear call for freedom. I am actually seeing today what I have learnt in books about the 1943 independence."
Shortly before 5 a.m. Monday, people were already up and organized, shouting slogans of freedom, sovereignty and independence.
"Al-Hamdulillah (Thank God) we are re-writing history," said Hassan Abu-Ali, 79, who came all the way from Aramoun, in Mount Lebanon.
"I will finally see my country free before I die."
For those who couldn't make it Downtown on Monday, Lebanon's congested coastal highway evolved into a motorized forum for anti-government protesters who waved Lebanese flags and chanted anti-Syrian slogans in the midst of bumper-to-bumper traffic.
As far away as Dbayye, some 15 kilometers from the capital, thousands of vehicles thronged the streets, undeterred by the government's efforts to choke off traffic by setting up a string of intimidating checkpoints.
The ensuing gridlock
was massive even by Leban-
ese standards.
But if the plan was to minimize the volume of demonstrators, it may well have backfired.
Rather than turn around, motorists and passengers seemed bent on making their voices heard; forming a singular line of protest that snaked along the coastline.
In Dora, on the outskirts of Beirut, many left their cars behind and marched through the center of the freeway traffic sprawl. Young men and women wearing colorful bandanas waved oversized Lebanese flags and shouted anti-Syrian profanities as machine-gun-toting police and soldiers looked on.
In Martyrs' Square a week before, during the first protest held after Hariri's assassination, a sea of flags for different political parties marked
the demonstration. Monday's protest was dramatically different; it raised only one flag: that of Lebanon.
40% or so, at least it used to be.
Notice how the faces of the protestors are happy faces, because they want freedom. Also notice that they are pretty good-looking and well-dressed. Compare that to the pathetic protests in the West over globalization, anti-war, anti-Bush, We Hate America, and other Leftist groups, who are generally unkempt, ugly, angry, depressed, grim and boring.
The desire for freedom is very photogenic.
Thanks. I hope they get a good government, but I'm afraid of an Islamic theocracy.
LOL!
I was just thinking how beautiful freedom looks on their faces.
Ever here the tale of the scorpion and the frog?
Bill Kristol was just on Fox; he is in Rome today and he said that the pictures are EVERYWHERE in Europe; he said you can't walk past a newspaper stand without seeing them and that they are on TV.
This is good.
They saw what happened to the world's other Ba'athist state.
I don't get it.
Lesian.... Lebanese...
Here's one possibility: they are actively supporting the Iraqi terrorists, and don't have the resources to put down a Lebanese uprising. Essentially, they don't want a two-front war.
Muslim 59.7% (Shi'a, Sunni, Druze, Isma'ilite, Alawite or Nusayri),
Christian 39% (Maronite Catholic, Melkite Catholic, Armenian Orthodox, Syrian Catholic, Armenian Catholic, Roman Catholic, Protestant),
other 1.3%
I'll take a 1,000 shares in GWB INC. !!!
Great pictures. A friend of mine, who is in the military, spent two weeks in Israel. He said they had more beautiful women than he had ever seen anywhere.
Had he been to Norway? :-P
I can't help but be suspicious of Syria. They don't confirm a partnership with Iran one week and voluntarily move out of Lebanon the next week. I had read they are leaving guns and munitions behind with selected groups. Perhaps they are slipping off only to let terrorists raise cain so they can swoop back to save Lebanon from the terrorists they armed? I hope and pray that the Lebansese are strong and focused in their efforts to regain control of their nation.
The Lebanese opposition groups are having a strategy meeting as we speak at Jumblatt's mountain retreat.
OH!
LOL! I can't believe I missed that!
Population: 3.7 million ------- 39% Christian ------- source: CIA World Fact Book 2004
I live in Great Neck, NY, aka Tel Aviv West. I can vouch for the physical beauty of Israeli women (and Persians). As for the attitudes, well that's a different story.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.