Hundreds of thousands of opposition demonstrators gathered in Beirut's Martyrs Square today in the biggest protest yet against Syria's presence in Lebanon.
An estimated 800,000 had gathered in the square before the protest began. Crowds flooded the square, spilling over into nearby streets, while more from across Lebanon packed the roads into Beirut.
They were responding to the opposition call to mark a month since the assassination of former prime minister Rafik Hariri.
Beirt protester
His murder sparked a series of protests against Syria, the dominant power in Lebanon.
We are coming to liberate our country. We are coming to demand the truth," said a veiled Sunni Muslim woman who travelled from the remote region of Dinniyeh in northern Lebanon to take part.
The protest surpassed the pro-government rally of 500,000, held last week by the Shia Muslim militant group Hizbullah.That rally forced the opposition to act to regain its momentum.
Syria's military withdrawal continued today, with intelligence agents closing two offices in northern Lebanon.
In all, about 50 intelligence agents left are left in Lebanon, and most of the intelligence offices, the widely resented arm through which Syria has controlled many aspects of Lebanese life, remained in northern and central Lebanon after Syrian troops moved east, closer to the Syrian border.
The opposition is demanding a full Syrian withdrawal, the resignations of Lebanese security chiefs and an international investigation into the assassination of Mr Hariri in a powerful bomb blast in Beirut.
The crowd stood in hushed silence for two minutes to commemorate Mr Hariri, a billionaire philanthropist. Their leaders heaped blame on Syria and its allies for the assassination.
"You want the truth? It's clear ... the world and Lebanon know them [the killers] well, know them one by one, name by name, rank by rank," said Mr Marwan Hamadeh, a Druze opposition MP who escaped an assassination attempt in October.
Syria has denied any involvement in Mr Hariri's killing.
Bahiya Hariri, sister of the slain ex-premier and a member of parliament, had harsh words for Syrian-backed officials, but reached out to Syria and Hizbollah, its main Lebanese ally.
"We will stand by Syria until its land is liberated and it regains its sovereignty on the [Israeli-] occupied Golan Heights," she said, drawing boos from the crowd.
Other speakers were more forthright in their attacks on Syria and its Lebanese allies. "I ask his excellency the president [Emile Lahoud] to meet the demand of all Lebanese: resign and let us rest," Christian politician Carlos Edde told the crowd to wild applause.
Such a verbal bashing is likely to complicate the already near impossible mission of Syrian-backed prime minister-designate Omar Karami, who starts talks on forming a new government grouping loyalists and opposition members.
AP/Reuters