Hundreds Rally in Martyrs Square in Solidarity with Syrian People
Hundreds of Lebanese intellectuals, journalists and activists staged a rally in solidarity with the Syrian people Monday evening in Beirut’s Martyrs Square.
Amid tight security measures taken by police special forces, the demonstrators shouted slogans in support of the Syrian people and lit candles near the Martyrs Monument to commemorate the victims of a violent crackdown by the Syrian authorities on anti-regime protests.
Meanwhile, security forces prevented “a number of Baath Party officials, who were protesting slogans (shouted by the demonstrators) against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad,” from entering the square, state-run National News Agency reported.
Mustaqbal bloc MP Ahmed Fatfat was the only politician to take part in the sit-in.
MTV network, meanwhile, reported that prominent Lebanese composer and singer Marcel Khalife participated in the rally.
In a statement issued earlier, the organizers urged the Lebanese to rally in Martyrs Square to support the five-month old popular uprising and to condemn Assad’s deadly crackdown on demonstrators.
The organizers slammed Assad for ignoring the legitimate demands of the Syrian people. “The Syrians want human dignity, democracy, social justice and the end of the republic’s dictatorial nightmare.”
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