World of KJ :: View topic - MARCH 14........BEIRUT SPEAKS...

NYTimes wrote:

Huge Demonstration in Lebanon Demands End to Syrian Control

BEIRUT, Lebanon, March 14 - Lebanon's anti-Syria opposition regained the momentum on Monday as hundreds of thousands of Lebanese jammed Beirut's central square to demand the end to Syrian control of their country .

Seemingly every available space in the heart of the city overflowed with people waving the red-and-white Lebanese flag, in a showing that easily rivaled a pro-Syria rally last Tuesday organized by the radical Shiite party Hezbollah.

"We don't want Syrian spies and secret police; we don't want any foreign intervention," said Noha Dahir, a veiled 18-year-old Sunni Muslim student who came by bus from the northern city of Tripoli. "Those Lebanese who want the Syrians to stay can go live in Syria. There are plenty of Lebanese here to fill the country."

The most notable element in the demonstration in Martyrs' Square was that it represented an exceedingly rare moment in which a broad cross section of Lebanese from every main sect - Christian, Druse, Shiite and Sunni Muslims - were all rubbing shoulders in the same space.

"They can say that they represent a wide spectrum of Lebanese factions, including some Shiites, and they have been able to bring the Sunnis into the streets, which is not easy," Ghassan SalamÃƒÂ©, a former minister of culture and political science professor, said by telephone from Paris. "They have an upward momentum now after a week that was full of uncertainty."

In the main mosque, still under construction, demonstrators even crammed the tiny balconies hundreds of feet up on the four minarets. A few daredevils inched their way out along a huge construction crane looming over the building to drape a Lebanese flag at the end.

The opposition had some doubts about the extent of its appeal after the Hezbollah demonstration in a nearby square in Beirut on Tuesday. There have been rallies in the city center every Monday since former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was assassinated Feb. 14, a Monday, but organizers were determined to make this one especially large in response to the pro-Syrian march.

"This will counterbalance last Tuesday, and now we can sit and talk," said Mazen al-Zain, a 30-year-old financial analyst, noting that he himself was a member of an illustrious Shiite clan from southern Lebanon. "What is really important after today's gathering is that we all sit down at the same table."

The presence of such a large number of Lebanese put added pressure on the government of Syria to announce a serious timetable for the withdrawal of both its thousands of troops and its secret police officers in the country. Although President Bashar al-Assad has promised a withdrawal into the Bekaa region by the end of March and a further discussion with a joint Lebanese-Syrian commission in early April, there is still no clear timetable for a complete withdrawal.

The United States and other Western nations have said they want all Syrians out before new parliamentary elections, tentatively scheduled for May, and many Lebanese experts say they believe that the Syrians may be dragging their feet to influence the choice of a new Parliament....

Author:	darth pimp [ Tue Mar 15, 2005 2:57 pm ]
Post subject:	MARCH 14........BEIRUT SPEAKS...
MARTYR'S SQUARE, BEIRUT, LEBANON MARCH 14 2005

Author:	dolcevita [ Tue Mar 15, 2005 3:02 pm ]
Post subject:
Hi rudy. we started a thread a bit ago on you, were worried. how are you doing?

Author:	darth pimp [ Tue Mar 15, 2005 3:02 pm ]
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i was a part of it... words cannot describe how great yesterday was... lebanon is regaining its independance

Author:	Algren [ Tue Mar 15, 2005 3:07 pm ]
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Whats with all this CAPS thread titles...

Author:	dolcevita [ Tue Mar 15, 2005 3:09 pm ]
Post subject:
Its a very big deal Algren, darth lives there right now. Even if he didn't, it's still a big deal, but you get the point right?

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Author:	darth pimp [ Tue Mar 15, 2005 3:16 pm ]
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dolcevita wrote: Hi rudy. we started a thread a bit ago on you, were worried. how are you doing? i'm good btw, i'm not really sure if the pics give a good sense of scale, but what u are seeing is 1 million+ people in a single square, from ALL SECTS, christians and muslims, united, chanting with one single voice... so yeah, it was a very powerful and emotional day...

Author:	rusty [ Tue Mar 15, 2005 3:17 pm ]
Post subject:
how many people are there?

Author:	A. G. [ Tue Mar 15, 2005 3:21 pm ]
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If you zoom in close on picture 2, you can see a man standing in the crowd center right with a Darth Vader mask and a gold chain. Welcome back, DP.

Author:	Algren [ Tue Mar 15, 2005 3:46 pm ]
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dolcevita wrote: Its a very big deal Algren, darth lives there right now. Even if he didn't, it's still a big deal, but you get the point right? No i dont get it. Why are all those people there?

Author:	bABA [ Tue Mar 15, 2005 3:49 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: MARCH 14........BEIRUT SPEAKS...
darth pimp wrote: MARTYR'S SQUARE, BEIRUT, LEBANON MARCH 14 2005 HOT!

Author:	Dr. Lecter [ Tue Mar 15, 2005 4:00 pm ]
Post subject:
Woohoo, Rudy's back! And at the pics...wow. I've been to mass events, but not THAT big, as far as I can recall...

Author:	dolcevita [ Tue Mar 15, 2005 4:04 pm ]
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Algren wrote: dolcevita wrote: Its a very big deal Algren, darth lives there right now. Even if he didn't, it's still a big deal, but you get the point right? No i dont get it. Why are all those people there? NYTimes wrote: Huge Demonstration in Lebanon Demands End to Syrian Control BEIRUT, Lebanon, March 14 - Lebanon's anti-Syria opposition regained the momentum on Monday as hundreds of thousands of Lebanese jammed Beirut's central square to demand the end to Syrian control of their country . Seemingly every available space in the heart of the city overflowed with people waving the red-and-white Lebanese flag, in a showing that easily rivaled a pro-Syria rally last Tuesday organized by the radical Shiite party Hezbollah. "We don't want Syrian spies and secret police; we don't want any foreign intervention," said Noha Dahir, a veiled 18-year-old Sunni Muslim student who came by bus from the northern city of Tripoli. "Those Lebanese who want the Syrians to stay can go live in Syria. There are plenty of Lebanese here to fill the country." The most notable element in the demonstration in Martyrs' Square was that it represented an exceedingly rare moment in which a broad cross section of Lebanese from every main sect - Christian, Druse, Shiite and Sunni Muslims - were all rubbing shoulders in the same space. "They can say that they represent a wide spectrum of Lebanese factions, including some Shiites, and they have been able to bring the Sunnis into the streets, which is not easy," Ghassan SalamÃƒÂ©, a former minister of culture and political science professor, said by telephone from Paris. "They have an upward momentum now after a week that was full of uncertainty." In the main mosque, still under construction, demonstrators even crammed the tiny balconies hundreds of feet up on the four minarets. A few daredevils inched their way out along a huge construction crane looming over the building to drape a Lebanese flag at the end. The opposition had some doubts about the extent of its appeal after the Hezbollah demonstration in a nearby square in Beirut on Tuesday. There have been rallies in the city center every Monday since former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was assassinated Feb. 14, a Monday, but organizers were determined to make this one especially large in response to the pro-Syrian march. "This will counterbalance last Tuesday, and now we can sit and talk," said Mazen al-Zain, a 30-year-old financial analyst, noting that he himself was a member of an illustrious Shiite clan from southern Lebanon. "What is really important after today's gathering is that we all sit down at the same table." The presence of such a large number of Lebanese put added pressure on the government of Syria to announce a serious timetable for the withdrawal of both its thousands of troops and its secret police officers in the country. Although President Bashar al-Assad has promised a withdrawal into the Bekaa region by the end of March and a further discussion with a joint Lebanese-Syrian commission in early April, there is still no clear timetable for a complete withdrawal. The United States and other Western nations have said they want all Syrians out before new parliamentary elections, tentatively scheduled for May, and many Lebanese experts say they believe that the Syrians may be dragging their feet to influence the choice of a new Parliament.... There is more to the article, its all over the news. I would have quoted CNN, but my comp is acting up again and I can't seem to access that site. Go to any news source and it will be on the front page.

Author:	bABA [ Tue Mar 15, 2005 4:25 pm ]
Post subject:
you know i always wondered... the dude in the center .. after everything is said and done and its time to go home ... like .. how does he know what to do. which way to turn. hell the demonstration could have ended at 5 but he wont know till 8 cause there aer still the same number of people surrounding him till he finds a way to escape. questions questions..

Author:	Maximus [ Tue Mar 15, 2005 4:38 pm ]
Post subject:
Wow. That's a very inspiring turnout.

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Author:	darth pimp [ Wed Mar 16, 2005 4:37 pm ]
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Archie Gates wrote: If you zoom in close on picture 2, you can see a man standing in the crowd center right with a Darth Vader mask and a gold chain. Welcome back, DP. naaa, u can't see me in picture 2, but i easily stand out in picture 4