Throngs besiege Beirut for anti-govt rally

It is reported that up to one million flag-waving protesters from Hezbollah and its pro-Syrian allies descended on downtown Beirut today in a peaceful but noisy protest to force the resignation of Western-backed Lebanese prime minister Fuad Saniora, who was holed up in his office ringed by hundreds of police and combat troops.

The prime minister went about his schedule, in what appeared to be a tactic to ignore the throngs who quickly began filling the streets and squares before the demonstration was set to begin later today.