Hezbollah backers rally in bid to overthrow Lebanese government

BEIRUT, Lebanon -- Hundreds of thousands of Lebanese heeded Hezbollah's call Friday, flooding downtown Beirut to pressure the U.S.-supported government to resign. But Prime Minister Fuad Saniora showed no signs of backing down in a confrontation that could tear apart the country.

The protesters raised a deafening noise of chants and revolutionary and nationalist songs just outside the main government offices. Barbed wire and armored vehicles separated the demonstrators from the buildings where Saniora and some of his ministers were holed up.

"Pack your bags, Fuad, and leave us and the country in peace," many shouted.

The loud but peaceful rally, which took on a carnivallike atmosphere in bright autumn sunshine, was far larger than last week's pro-government demonstration that followed the assassination of Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel. Friday's crowd was estimated at between 800,000 and a million people, who formed a sea of red-and-white Lebanese flags with the green cedar emblem.

The protest was the opening volley in the Shiite Muslim group Hezbollah's campaign of open-ended demonstrations. The event could be a watershed for the future of Lebanese politics, torn between anti-Syrian politicians who control the government and pro-Syrian forces led by Hezbollah.

Hezbollah and its allies demand a third of the seats in Saniora's Cabinet -- enough to veto its decisions -- and have vowed to continue their campaign until the government falls. They cite Lebanon's constitution, which says the Cabinet is supposed to represent all communities in the country.

Saniora and his supporters call the campaign a coup attempt led by neighboring Syria and its ally Iran, a stance echoed by Washington. Hezbollah and its allies contend the real fight is against American influence, saying the United States now dominates Lebanon in the interests of Israel.

Lebanon is one of a number of areas in the Middle East where the United States and Iran are vying for influence.

"We do remain very concerned that Hezbollah and its allies, with support from Syria and the Iranian government, are continuing to work to destabilize Lebanon," State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey said. "The demonstrations are aimed at toppling Lebanon's legitimate and democratically elected government."

John Bolton, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, said the Hezbollah demonstration was "part of the Iran-Syria-inspired coup d'etat."

Most protesters left after the rally ended in the evening but several thousand set up tents for an open-ended sit-in outside Saniora's offices, blaring slogans through loudspeakers. Inside his besieged offices, Saniora went about his schedule in what appeared to be a tactic to ignore the demonstration; he took calls of support from the leaders of Saudi Arabia and Jordan.

Lebanon now faces a dangerous, protracted battle of nerves that could last for days and turn violent. Saniora and his allies appear determined to hunker down until Hezbollah abandons its protests. The pro-Syrian camp aims to paralyze the country until Saniora is forced to resign and form a new government.

Even as both sides urge restraint, many fear the standoff, if it drags on, could easily erupt into street clashes. Even worse, the divisions exacerbate tensions between Lebanon's divided communities. The government is largely backed by Sunni Muslims and Christians, while Shiite Muslims support Hezbollah, along with Christian allies.

Friday's demonstration was a dramatic show of strength by the pro-Syrian camp. In an attempt to widen their appeal, the protesters waved almost no Hezbollah flags -- a stark contrast to past rallies organized by the group. Many wore the orange color of the party of Hezbollah's Christian ally, Michel Aoun. Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah did not appear.

Hezbollah's security men, donning caps, formed lines between the protesters and the security forces to prevent any clashes. At one tense moment, the crowd completely closed off all streets leading to the government building, until high-level contacts persuaded them to open one road.

Many in the crowd denounced what they see as U.S. domination of Saniora's government. "Feltman out, we want a free government!" the protesters shouted, referring to the U.S. ambassador in Beirut, Jeffrey Feltman.

"We don't want America to rule us," said Hashem Aoun, 16. He complained that the government had yet to rebuild the country after the summer's devastating war with Israel.

Another young protester, Sadek Ahmaz, said he took part in the demonstration "to bring down the government ... because it's an American-Israeli government." One young man wore a black T-shirt with the words "Kill Bush" emblazoned on it, and there were occasional cries of "Death to Israel."

In an apparent swipe at U.S. influence, Michel Aoun told the crowd: "Yes, we are extremist for preserving sovereignty, independence, free decision, moderation and coexistence."

Saniora has insisted only parliament -- where his allies hold the majority by five votes -- can change his government. The only other way the government would fall is if two members of his Cabinet resign. New parliament elections are due in 2009.

Cabinet minister Ahmed Fatfat, who is close to Saniora, said the solution to the crisis was to hold "real national dialogue" and not street protests. He said the government had agreed to some of the opposition's demands but had rejected the one-third presence in the Cabinet because that would make the government "a hostage of the opposition."

Hezbollah's support among Shiites skyrocketed after its strong showing in the summer's war with Israel, and that has in part emboldened the group to demand a greater government role.

The crowd in the rally -- the majority of whom were teenagers and young people -- wanted nothing less than the overthrow of the government.

"Saniora out! We want a free government!" they shouted through loudspeakers. "We want a clean government," read one placard, in what has become the opposition's motto.

Protesters, some with faces painted in the colors of the Lebanese flag and others wearing bandannas, took souvenir pictures of one another.

Hanaa Chemaly, 18, wearing a curly orange wig -- the color of Aoun's movement -- said he was protesting because the uncertain security situation and high unemployment had forced his brother to emigrate to Australia.

"I want there to be plenty of work so my brother returns to Lebanon," he said.

"People have stopped having dreams," said Layal Farah, a 20-year-old Aoun supporter. "The government is selling the country very short."