Thousands gather for anti-Syria protest

Thousands of flag-waving Lebanese answered an opposition call for a massive street protest in Beirut today.

They demanded a full Syrian troop withdrawal, resignations of security chiefs and an international investigation into the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri.

The protest in Martyrs’ Square – muscle-flexing to counter pro-Syrian and pro-government demonstrations as the opposition seeks to regain the momentum that brought down a government two weeks ago – came exactly four weeks after Hariri was killed.

It also was being used to protest against the reinstatement of pro-Syrian Prime Minister Omar Karami.

Calls were made in every town and village in the country, urging people to go to Beirut today to demand “the truth” over Hariri’s killing, along with 17 others in the February 14 bombing.

By midday, three hours before the protest was scheduled to begin, thousands of people already had arrived.

Many were particularly offended by the reinstatement of Karami, who resigned amid opposition protests last month but was returned to the job 10 days later by President Emile Lahoud after the pro-Syrian, pro-government, camp flexed its muscles.

Karami said his supporters had the majority in parliament and among the people, a reference to last Tuesday’s Thank you, Syria rally organised by the Shiite Muslim militant group Hezbollah in which half a million pro-Syrian supporters participated.

So the opposition used e-mail and mobile text messaging to urge people to turn out and prove Karami wrong, and to show loyalty to Hariri and to Lebanon.

Meanwhile, Syria’s withdrawal continued, with military intelligence agents closing two offices and about 50 agents leaving – destination unknown, but believed to be northern Syria.

Most of the intelligence offices – the widely resented arm through which Syria controlled many aspects of Lebanese life - remained in northern and central Lebanon after Syrian troops redeployed east, closer to the Syrian border.

Syrian Cabinet minister Bouthaina Shaaban said a ”very fast timetable for withdrawal” was expected, with completion probable ahead of Lebanese parliamentary elections – as President George Bush has demanded.

Election dates have not yet been set, but the current parliament’s mandate expires on May 31.