DPA: Protestors vow to stay in Beirut's tent city despite cold

Middle East Features
By Pakinam Amer
Dec 29, 2006, 14:02 GMT

Beirut - As the winter chill moves into Beirut, protestors are constructing what they call 'the opposition tent city,' vowing not to give in to lower temperatures or abandon their demonstration against Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Seniora's government.

The largely Hezbollah-backed opponents, who have been staking out their place in central Beirut for a month, were busily filling their tents with supplies and other winter necessities not far from where Seniora and his cabinet have sought refuge, separated only by the Lebanese army and metres of barbed wire.

The pro-Syrian Hezbollah, along with the Amal movement and their Christian ally Michel Aoun, have been leading the month-long protest, leaving the embattled country in a political standoff with no end in sight.

The demonstrations were sparked after Seniora approved a UN tribunal to try those suspected of playing a role in the February 2005 bombing that killed former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

A UN inquiry has implicated Syria in the plot against Hariri, who vocally opposed Damascus' then occupation of the country.

Each of the factions has established a separate make-shift camp in Beirut's once-chic squares, with Amal and Hezbollah occupying Riad al-Solh square, the largest spot in close proximity to the Ottoman- era governmental palace where Seniora and members of his cabinet have sought sanctuary since the beginning of December.

'If they're playing the time game, thinking we will get bored as time goes by, they should know that they are wrong and that we will win,' a young Hezbollah supporter said.

Seniora, who strictly opposes a Syrian role in internal Lebanese affairs, has refused to back down, saying the protestors 'will not scare us' in a recent address to the nation. The crisis has drawn a great deal of attention in the region, but attempts to end the stalemate have been unsuccessful.

Seniora's cabinet has done little to break up the protest but has steadfastly refused to give in to the demands of its leaders, raising questions about how long the protestors can keep up the pressure.

After Nabih Berry, speaker of the Lebanese National Assembly and leader of Amal, declared that initiatives to end the dispute between the government and opposition failed, the protestors have hardened their stance.

Reports on Thursday said Arab League Secretary General Amr Mussa may cancel plans to return to Lebanon if both sides continue to show no willingness to compromise.

Ya Libnan news reported that Mussa's return is 'not guaranteed' if he does not receive 'encouraging and tangible signals' from the rival sides. Mussa said last week he would do everything possible to end the standoff but that both sides had to work out the 'details.'

Some analysts believe Mussa's effort is doomed to fail because of the continued verbal barrages between government officials and the protestors, and there are concerns the opposition will become more aggressive in their demonstrations.

Meanwhile, the protestors have continued assembling their 'tent city,' stockpiling water, food, pillows and blankets while taking an occasional break to attend lectures.

'Not everyone can afford to stay here and pay for food and water every day, so we decided to take on this mission,' said a senior coordinator in the Amal movement who asked his name be withheld.

'We're trying to make these tents as hospitable as possible,' he said, adding the protests could last all winter 'for all we know.'

'We're not leaving until the government steps down,' another opposition supporter exclaimed.
Firmly pinned tents have been raised above the ground by rock tiles and layered with plastic to protect them against the rain and possible flooding. There are portable toilets and the tent have mats, blankets, electricity and in some cases televisions or radios powered by generators supplied by Hezbollah and Amal.

The Amal aide insisted that the funding for the sit-in was coming from Lebanese sympathetic to the movement, but there has also been speculation that Iran and Syria are funding the protests to assert their influence in the country.

But nevertheless, the protestors remain determined. A group of Hezbollah youths told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa that they 'could stay here forever.'

'We will not give up. We could stay here (in the camps) for years,' said one member as others signalled their agreement.

© 2006 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur
© Copyright 2006,2007 by monstersandcritics.com.
This notice cannot be removed without permission.

Link: http://news.monstersandcritics.com/middleeast/features/article_1237794.php/Protestors_vow_to_stay_in_Beiruts_tent_city_despite_cold