#4 Khaleej Times: Tens of thousands of jubilant demonstrators gathered in a sea of red and white Lebanese flags at the nearby Martyrsâ Square in central Beirut, broke into singing the national anthem on hearing the news. The crowd, estimated to number some 60,000, had defied a government ban and massed in the heart of Beirut as the parliament held the debate on Haririâs murder in a huge February 14 bomb blast.
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Shouting âSyria out!â protesters descended on Martyrsâ Square where Hariri is buried as hundreds of heavily armed troops and police guarded nearby streets but did not prevent the rally. Many spent Sunday night at the square despite the ban on demonstrations coming into force. Shops, banks, schools and businesses, meanwhile, were closed in Beirut and other main cities following a call for a general strike.
âThrough your resistance you are writing a new page in history, one of regained independence,â Druze opposition leader Walid Jumblatt said. âTogether we want a sovereign and independent Lebanon, the departure of Syrian secret services and above all the truth: who killed Rafiq Hariri,â he said. âWe want to be friends with the Syrian people but we want the Syrian army to go,â he said.
Some of the MPs in parliament wore scarves in the red-and-white of the âpeaceful resistanceâ.
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BEIRUT, Lebanon - Lebanese Prime Minister Omar Karami announced the resignation of his pro-Syrian government Monday, two weeks after the assassination of his predecessor, Rafik Hariri, triggered protests in the streets and calls for Syria to withdraw thousands of troops. "I am keen that the government will not be a hurdle in front of those who want the good for this country. I declare the resignation of the government that I had the honor to head. May God preserve Lebanon," Karami said. The announcement prompted cheers from more than 25,000 flag-waving demonstrators protesting against the government and its Syrian backers outside the parliament building.