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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Coppers thump Lebanese students |
| 2004-03-11 |
| A peaceful student sit-in protesting the emigration of young Lebanese because of political corruption turned violent on Wednesday when a mass of security forces descended upon the demonstrators at the Saint Joseph University (USJ) in Achrafieh. The students were beaten with rifle butts, three were arrested, and several injured, including Sami Gemayel, former President Amin Gemayelâs son. Organized by USJ students, including the Phalange Party-opposition wing, the Lebanese Forces and the National Liberal Party, the midday protest attracted about 100 students and at least double that number of security forces. Hadi and Shadi Abdel-Nour and Joe Saber, all three supporters of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), were arrested and then released. Although the FPM was not one of the organizers of the protest, they joined in when they saw their peers suppressed. âWe were not part of the protest,â said George Sarrouh, an FPM student representative. âBut when the problems started, we could not sit on the sidelines and watch our fellow students being beaten up for nothing.â âThe repression of our most basic freedom, the freedom to demonstrate, which is guaranteed by our Lebanese Constitution and all the international conventions, is becoming a common practice by the regimeâ, said Roland Khoury, the FPMâs student coordinator. Hayyan Bourji, a second-year business management student, said Gemayel was beaten up by Internal Security Forces as were most of the demonstrating students. Bourji said students were planning to head to the Museum area and the Cabinet headquarters, but security forces surrounded the campus and blocked off all exits. âThey feared that this peaceful manifestation of ours might turn into a protest against the Syrian presence in Lebanon and Syria itself,â he added. Bourji said banners denounced government policies that drive young people to emigrate. âMany students were hurt and some were injured,â said Bourji. When the violence set in the students broke up, and some tried to go home. The army intelligence with the help of ISF personnel caught them and gave them another round of severe beatings said Bourji. âThey said they had photos of all of the protesters, which is all a lie. Many innocent bystanders were dragged to the other parking lot and hit under that argument. I was beaten up twice and the last to be hit too.â The ISF issued a statement, accusing demonstrators of provoking them and throwing stones, sticks and empty bottles, leaving three officers and five soldiers injured. The statement also accused students of promoting anti-Syrian and anti-government slogans. Members of the Qornet Shehwan Gathering and the Democratic Forum strongly condemned the oppression. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 and counting the demonstration violently broken up in Syria, and the new "neighborhood association", this is shaping up to be a bad spring for Syria's Baathists |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-3-11 7:34:03 PM |