‘Syria out’ chant 200,000 Lebanese mourners

MORE than 200,000 Lebanese people took to the streets of Beirut yesterday in a demonstration of mourning for their former premier and an expression of hatred for Syria, whom they accuse of being behind his assassination.

In an unprecedented outpouring of grief and anger, mourners shouted “Syria out” as they crowded the Lebanese capital’s streets to bury Rafik Hariri. The country’s pro-Syrian president stayed away, warned not to come by Hariri supporters who blame Damascus for his death.

In Syria, government officials stayed silent as US and UN pressure continued to mount. The assassination “angered the international community, and this requires that we shed the light on this heinous, indescribable act”, said French President Jacques Chirac, a friend of Mr Hariri’s who flew to Beirut to offer his condolences.