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March 15, 2005
Pro- and anti-Syrian, but decidedly anti-American
Amid the chaos of anti-Syrian (and pro-Syrian)demonstrations in Beirut, protestors took their fist-shaking and chanting to the door of the United States Embassy, burning American and Israeli flags.
US government-funded Voice of America reports that a crowd including Hezbullah and pro-Syrian figures demanded the end of American meddling in Lebanese affairs and one speaker called for the removal of U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman.
Reuters reports that the demonstration was comprised of about 3,000 students and was organized by pro-Syrian people against the international presssure the U.S. put on Syrian forces to withdraw.
"Don't interfere, leave us alone, we don't want your fake democracy that we saw ... in Iraq ... through your massacres and human rights breaches there ... and in Palestine through your support to Israeli massacres," one speaker said at the rally.
During Tuesday's protests at the U.S. embassy, reports came of Syrian intelligence forces leaving Beirut. They are the last trace of Syria's military presence in Beirut.
The Lebanese Daily Star's coverage is Here .
Reuters:
BEIRUT, March 15 (Reuters) - Around 3,000 pro-Syrian students chanting "Death to America" marched on the U.S. embassy near Beirut on Tuesday, burning American and Israeli flags and denouncing what they said was U.S. interference in Lebanon.
Waving Lebanese flags, the crowd chanted: "Ambassador leave, keep our country free", in reference to Washington's envoy to Lebanon, Jeffrey Feltman.
The United States has led international pressure that forced Syria this month to announce a two-stage pullout from Lebanon.
"Don't interfere, leave us alone, we don't want your fake democracy that we saw ... in Iraq ... through your massacres and human rights breaches there ... and in Palestine through your support to Israeli massacres," one speaker said at the rally.
Scores of Lebanese soldiers and riot police, backed by armoured personnel carriers, had deployed around the embassy complex in Awkar, north of the capital, and put up metal barricades and barbed wire to keep the crowd away.
Soldiers had taken up positions on rooftops of surrounding buildings, but there were no clashes with protesters.
The march was organised by Syrian-backed political parties including the Shi'ite Muslim Hizbollah guerrilla group.
It follows huge rival rallies over the past month by loyalists and opponents of Syria's dominant role in Lebanon.
"We are against the American onslaught on the region," said a protester who identified himself only as Haitham.
"We are against foreign interference," another student said.
Posted March 15, 2005 06:04 PM
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