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Lebanese Protest to Stop Occupation of Their Country by Syria
Nov. 19, 2004 12:13 | Updated Nov. 19, 2004 14:04
Thousands of Lebanese demonstrate against Syria
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
BEIRUT, Lebanon
Lebanese students and activists defied government warnings Friday and demonstrated in their thousands against Syria's domination of their country.
Large numbers of security forces watched, but did not intervene, as about 3,000 students from several universities and right-wing Christian activists converged on the Beirut downtown shouting "Syrians out!"
A smaller group of protesters, followers of Druse leader Walid Jumblatt, chanted the national anthem near the prime minister's office and held placards reading: "No to hegemony" and "Freedom, Sovereignty, Independence."
The government had earlier cordoned off the office of Prime Minister Omar Karami with tank traps and other obstacles. It deployed about 1,000 security forces outside the universities and at major intersections across the city in anticipation of the protests.
While the government had declared that street protests would be illegal, the police and troops seemed to heed instructions of maximum restraint from Interior Minister Suleiman Franjieh. Hundreds of security forces allowed about 1,000 students from the Sagesse University to march to the downtown area of the national museum.
The protests were called by opposition leader Gen. Michel Aoun to mark the anniversary of Lebanon's independence, which falls on Tuesday. A former commander of the army, Aoun has been in exile in France since losing a military campaign against the Syrian forces in Lebanon in the early 1990's.
Prominent members of the opposition had warned the government against using force to stop the protests, saying the world is watching. Previous protests against Syria have ended in violent clashes in the streets.
Students and other members of the opposition opposed to Syria have been buoyed by U.N. and U.S. pressure against Syria in recent months. In September, the United States and France steered Resolution 1559 through the U.N. Security Council. It effectively demanded that Syria withdraw its forces from Lebanon and stop interfering in the country's internal affairs.
Syria's army crossed into Lebanon in 1976 in the second year of the civil war. By the end of the conflict in 1990, Syria had emerged as the main power broker in the country. Critics accuse Syria of dominating the country's politics, but the pro-Syrian government says Syria's 14,000 troops are required to ensure stability.
-Rudey
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