<http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/03/15/wleb15.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/03/15/ixworld.html>
The Telegraph 400,000 gather to tell Syrians to go home By Tim Butcher in Beirut (Filed: 15/03/2005) The anti-Syrian opposition seized the initiative yesterday in Lebanon's ongoing political drama as more than 400,000 of their supporters thronged the centre of Beirut. The huge crowd repeatedly cried 'Syria out, Syria out' It eclipsed last week's large pro-Syrian demonstration organised by Hizbollah, the Islamist party with close ties to Damascus, and showed how the normally divided opposition has united over the issue of Syrian interference in Lebanon. It was believed to be the largest political gathering in the country's history. As Lebanon's impasse entered its fifth week there were still no reports of serious political violence. A country that was ripped apart by the bloody 1975-1990 civil war has so far dealt peacefully with its latest crisis. Martyrs' Square, a massive open space of car parks and boulevards, was choked by yesterday's crowd which spilled into adjacent precincts and stretched back for miles along approach roads. With protesters filling all surrounding balconies and some climbing several hundred feet up a crane gantry looming over the crowd the square was turned into a massive cauldron of sound. A stiff on-shore breeze from the Mediterranean fluttered thousands of Lebanese flags being held by the throng while overhead kites, streaming lines of Lebanese flags, swung against the bright blue spring sky. A refrain of "Syria out, Syria out'', welled up repeatedly from the multitude as speaker after speaker demanded an end to the presence of Syria's troops and intelligence officials in Lebanon. Some of the speakers were Christian, from the country's large Maronite minority, some were from the Druze sect and others were Muslim, but they spoke with one voice, calling for an end to Damascus's hegemony over Lebanon. "Freedom is all we want, freedom to be in charge of our own country,'' said Galia Damaji, a teenage Sunni Muslim girl wearing a traditional headscarf. The opposition faced a test after last Tuesday's Hizbollah-backed rally attracted around 200,000 demonstrators. After weeks where the anti-Syrian opposition had made the running, Hizbollah's display of strength appeared to restore Syria's hold. Within days the pro-Syrian politician Omar Karami was reappointed Prime Minister. For days the opposition media encouraged people to turn out. All morning carloads of supporters roared round the streets of Beirut, Lebanese flags flapping from the windows, drumming up support for the demonstration. "What makes this so special is that in Lebanon we do not have a tradition of speaking with one voice but look at this,'' Anne-Marie el Hage, a Maronite, said. However, the central issue behind the month of political crisis in Lebanon remains unresolved. While Syria has begun to move its troops home from Lebanese soil, there is no timetable for a full withdrawal. * Britain is to back American and Israeli demands for a complete EU ban on Hizbollah as a terrorist organisation, according to Whitehall sources. -- ----------------- R. A. Hettinga <mailto: [EMAIL PROTECTED]> The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.com/> 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire' ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> DonorsChoose. A simple way to provide underprivileged children resources often lacking in public schools. 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