Hizballah Calls for Street Protests on Friday
Charles Johnson
Thu Nov 30, 2006 at 9:01 am PST • Views: 192
The driving forces of international terrorism, Iran and Syria, seem to be preparing a major move in Lebanon to wipe out the gains from the Cedar Revolution: Lebanon’s pro-Syrian opposition calls for protests.
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Pro-Syrian Hezbollah and its allies called for a peaceful protest and open-ended sit-in in central Beirut on Friday to try to force out the government of U.S.-backed Prime Minister Fouad Siniora.
The anti-Syrian majority says the Hezbollah-led campaign could amount to a coup against last year’s “Cedar Revolution” — large protests that forced Syria to pull out its forces and elections that swept the coalition to power.
Shi’ite Muslim Hezbollah and its main allies — the Shi’ite Amal Movement of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and the Free Patriotic Movement of Christian leader Michel Aoun — say they want greater participation in decision-making and better representation in government to reflect their political weight.
Many Lebanese fear that large-scale protests could lead to street violence, deepening the political crisis and pushing Lebanon toward chaos amid escalating sectarian tension. An opposition statement on Thursday called for a demonstration and open-ended sit-in in central Beirut on Friday to demand formation of a national unity government.
“All of you Lebanese — regardless of where you come from, your beliefs, your sect or religion — are invited to a peaceful, civilized popular movement,” Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said in a televised address later.
Frank says: