Pro, Anti-Assad Demonstrators Stage Rival Rallies in Hamra
Dozens of supporters of Syria's Bashar al-Assad gathered in Beirut Monday to express support for the embattled president, drowning out a nearby vigil in memory of those killed in two months of unrest.
"God, Syria, Bashar" and "Sarkozy, Obama, you brutes, you will never enter Syria," chanted some 50 men in the Hamra district of Beirut amid heavy security.
Carrying pictures of the Syrian president, the chants of the protesters -- mainly Syrian laborers -- drowned out those of another rally down the street to honor those killed by Syrian security forces during the anti-Assad uprising.
Carrying roses, another 50 people had gathered nearby to hold a candlelight vigil before being ushered away by army troops who feared a clash between the two sets of demonstrators.
Later Monday, Assad supporters staged a motorcade in the Hamra district, honking their horns and shouting slogans in support of the Syrian leader, a naharnet journalist at the scene reported.
Beirut has been the scene of several face-offs between rival rallies both for and against Assad, with security forces regularly dispersing the demonstrations.
Syria has accused Lebanon’s Mustaqbal Movement of backing anti-regime protesters who since March have hit the streets to demand the end of Baath Party rule.
Source: Agence France Presse
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://cdn.naharnet.com/stories/en/6894 |