Huge Rally in Beirut.

I have a post at Publius on the rally going on in Beirut and the latest on the Syrian troop agreement.

UPDATE: I know, but this is too delicious. Al-Jazeera reports this:

Keeping up the pressure as their president met with the Syrian leader about a troop withdrawal, tens of thousands of Lebanese have united in a massive demonstration.

"Freedom! Sovereignty! Independence!" shouted the young and old, rallying on Monday under a sea of waving flags.

At least 70,000 people - some estimates put the figure at 100,000 or even double that number - thronged downtown Beirut, buoyed by their success in forcing the resignation of the government exactly a week ago in a demonstration of 25,000.

Most of the crowd waved Lebanon's red and white flag, distinctive with the green cedar tree in the center.

"Syria out!" was the most regular cry. Many also raised photographs of former Prime Minister Rafiq al-Hariri, whose assassination three weeks ago triggered the angry, though peaceful, protests that the anti-Syrian opposition dubbed an "independence uprising."

In a slap to Boy Assad, several protesters held banners which read "ZOOM OUT!" in reference to the Syrian president's remarks that the cameras recording the protest where tightly focused to give the impression that the crowd was larger than it actually was.

Lebanese television stations broadcasting the demonstration regularly panned out, showing the continually growing crowd from wide angles.

Solange Gemayel, widow of slain President-elect Bashir Gemayel, had a message for Lahoud and al-Asad: "The Lebanese people will accept nothing less than a full withdrawal. So don't try to play games," she said as she mingled with the protesters.

Gemayel's husband, killed in a 1982 bombing at a Beirut hall, was among a series of political leaders who were assassinated during and after Lebanon's 1975-90 civil war. "I see these young people and I feel such pride," she said.

The three-hour protest passed peacefully, despite heavy military and police presence.

This is starting to look more and more like Ukraine. Good, old-fashioned, we're-not-gonna-take-it-anymore people power.

It would be very ironic if al-Jazeera, the terror-excusing propaganda machine, ends up becoming the broadcaster of the revolution.

 

Comments

[Maggie]

"Solange Gemayel, widow of slain President-elect Bashir Gemayel, had a message for Lahoud and al-Asad: 'The Lebanese people will accept nothing less than a full withdrawal. So don't try to play games,' she said as she mingled with the protesters."

What was that old adage about a 'WOMAN SCORNED'...seems to me that although the left continually bemoaned 'THE ARAB STREET'... it really should have been tuned into 'THE ARAB WOMAN'...

Baby, you're about to "come a long way"!

Yiiipee!