Region | Lebanon
Lebanon barricade begins
Thousands of protesters blocked main roads in Beirut and around the country with rubble and burning tyres at the start of a general strike to topple the government.
- Agencies
- Published: 00:00 January 23, 2007
- Image Credit: Reuters
- A protester blocks a street with a tyre near the government headquarters at the start of a general strike called by the opposition in central Beirut on Tuesday.
Beirut: Thousands of Lebanese protesters blocked main roads in Beirut and around the country with rubble and burning tyres on Tuesday at the start of a general strike called by the opposition to topple the government.
The commute to work has become a test of strength between the government and Hezbollah-led opposition. Although both leaders sought to avoid violence, tension in the streets between their supporters was already high even before dawn.
A gunman fired on protesters in the ancient Christian town of Byblos, wounding three people, security sources said. Soldiers arrested the gunman and seized weapons from his house.
No other gunfire was reported during the demonstrations across Lebanon, but some scuffles broke out between protesters and pro-government loyalists, especially in Christian areas.
The strike was called by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and other opposition leaders. But Siniora and his pro-government supporters urged all Lebanese to ignore the call.
Protesters in Beirut, north, south and east Lebanon took to the streets at around 6 a.m. and began blocking roads. Smoke from burning tyres billowed over the capital.
Hezbollah organisers, their faces covered in black masks, prowled on motorcycles, walkie-talkies clamped to their mouths.
Most main roads inside Beirut and leading into the city were closed, as were highways linking the capital to north and south Lebanon, as well as to the Syrian capital Damascus.
On some highways, protesters brought in old cars and set them ablaze to block the roads, television stations reported. Others brought in dump trucks that unloaded debris on roads to close approaches to cities.
The road to Beirut international airport and to the port was blocked, as was the highway linking Beirut with the mountains and the road to Damascus, the Syrian capital.
The airport remained operational, even though few workers showed up and passengers were unable to get there, sources at the facility said.
Two flights left early in the morning with passengers.
Many shops, schools and businesses were closed in Beirut but it was hard to tell whether this was in support of the strike or because people could not get to work past blazing barricades.
Lebanese security forces made sporadic efforts to open roads, but made little headway due to the crowds of protesters. They did not intervene in Hizbollah's south Beirut stronghold.
Government officials described the disturbances as an attempted coup.
"It is one of the chapters of the putsch," said Telecommunications Minister Marwan Hamadeh said of the opposition action. "This will fail as in the past, and the legitimate government of Lebanon will remain steadfast."
He said the disturbances could last more than one day but warned "patience is not unlimited," he told Al-Arabiya television.
Another Cabinet minister, Ahmad Fatfat, said there were some injuries in scuffles between opposition supporters and their opponents and expressed concern of more violence between the rivals.
"The opposition is attempting a coup by force ... This is not a strike. This is military action, a true aggression and I'm afraid this could develop into clashes between the citizens," Fatfat, the youth and sports minister, told Al Arabiya.
"This government only understands force and today is only a small lesson," protester Jamil Wahb told reporters in the southern mostly Shi'ite suburb. "We will stay here until they give in."
Opposition sources say protests will last for several days. Hezbollah leader Nasrallah told his supporters on Monday to be ready for more steps to press opposition demands.
Prime Minister Fouad Siniora's government has shrugged off the demands and is instead preparing for an international aid conference in Paris on Thursday that it hopes will yield billions of dollars for Lebanon's debt-laden economy.
Officials denied earlier reports that Siniora had left Lebanon for Paris a few hours before the strike began. "We are still here (in Beirut)," an aide said.
"Siniora out, down with the government," Hezbollah followers chanted as they lit tyres in downtown Beirut, close to the prime minister's office.
The opposition's campaign, which started on December 1 with an open-ended protest in central Beirut, has been largely peaceful, though one anti-government protester was shot dead in December.
Nasrallah said some government politicians wanted violence in Lebanon, which is still recovering from its 1975-1990 civil war. "We will move and if you want to kill us in the street, kill us," he said. "We will not draw our weapons against you."
The standoff has raised Sunni-Shiite tensions among Muslims in Lebanon, which has a delicate sectarian power-sharing system.
The government is backed by Sunni leader Saad Al Hariri and the opposition includes Shiite groups Hezbollah and Amal. Christians are split between the two camps.
News Editor's choice
-
Credit profiles in six months
Credit profiles for individuals, firms to be made available to creditors in six months
-
Uncertainty ahead of UP vote
Seven-phase polling begins today in the testing ground for national parties
-
Go shopping with Nol cards soon
RTA in talks with top grocery and supermarket chains on new feature
