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Al-Ahram Weekly 24 Feb. - 1 March 2000 Issue No. 470 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 24 Feb. - 1 March 2000 Issue No. 470
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Features Focus Heritage Profile Travel Living Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Raging against the double standard
By Ranwa YehiaLebanese students, political activists and workers staged massive protests throughout the country last week to express their anger over Israeli aggression and the US bias toward Israel. The demonstrations, which came a week after Israel launched air strikes that destroyed three power stations in Lebanon, highlighted nationwide support for the resistance to Israel's occupation of south Lebanon.
Beginning last Wednesday on the campus of the American University of Beirut, demonstrations subsequently erupted in other locales. Last Thursday, at least 3,000 students protested in front of the US embassy in Awkar, 40 kilometres north of Beirut, clashing with Lebanese security forces.
Using tear gas, water cannons and clubs, security forces attempted to subdue the angry crowd of students who broke through a police cordon set up nine kilometres away from the US embassy. Around five people -- students and security forces -- were injured and several demonstrators fainted from the tear gas.
Anti-US sentiment reached a boiling point in Lebanon and throughout the Arab world after US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright made remarks last week supportive of Israel. Albright described Hizbullah as "the enemies of peace," and US State Department spokesman James Rubin accused Hizbullah of making a "cynical, deliberate" attempt to disrupt the Middle East peace process.
In response, demonstrators called on the Lebanese government to expel the US ambassador to Lebanon. The harsh response of security forces created much resentment among students. Added to this, pent-up frustration due to the bad economic conditions and the government's failure to make good on its promises of economic reform fed the students anger.
A statement issued by the US embassy after the protest said: "We have every confidence in the government of Lebanon's commitment to preserve law and order and protect the safety of diplomatic missions and personnel."
A larger demonstration led by labour unions and political parties took place last Friday. More than 10,000 protesters marched through the streets of Beirut and finally stopped in front of the United Nation's offices in the newly-renovated downtown area.
While the demonstration outside of the UN's offices ended peacefully, another smaller one organised by students in front of the offices of the American Cable News Network (CNN) ended in violence. A group of about 500 students clashed violently with security forces who also used tear gas and water cannons to bar them from reaching CNN offices.
Demonstrators were protesting what they regarded as biased coverage by CNN of the Lebanese-Israeli conflict. The global news giant showed images of Israeli children cowering in bomb shelters in the aftermath of Israel's 8 February strikes against Lebanon that destroyed three electrical transformer stations and wounded 22 civilians. No Katyushas have been fired into northern Israel by the Lebanese resistance since June of last year.
As they chanted anti-American and anti-Israel slogans, protesters were prevented from getting any closer than 50 metres of the offices. Two students were injured. One student carried a banner parodying CNN's programme formats that read "Q and A: Where is the other side of the story?" and "CNN where is your Insight?" referring to one of the network's news magazine shows.
Angered by the violent response they met from security forces, the demonstrators made their way to the residence of Prime Minister Salim Hoss. With minimal security present, the prime minister came out of his house to address the excited crowd. "We all belong to the resistance," Hoss replied to the cheers of the crowd. "We will not surrender."
Last Saturday, Hoss reiterated his support for freedom of expression, saying that the government prided itself on having abrogated a law that banned demonstrations when it assumed office in December 1998.
"However, we have a responsibility toward foreign media and diplomatic
missions," Hoss said as he explained that Lebanon would not expel the American ambassador.
The surge of protests resulted in a flurry of official reactions in praise of what was described as a clear indication that the Lebanese people
would no longer accept aggression from the Israeli enemy.
Also last Saturday, scores of Lebanese youth lined the streets to greet President Hosni Mubarak on the first visit by an Egyptian head of state to Lebanon in 41 years. The visit has been viewed as sending a strong message of support for Lebanon and confirmed that the largest Arab country, which was also the first to sign a peace treaty with Israel, would not tolerate any further Israeli attacks against Lebanese civilian targets. Mubarak and Lebanese President Emile Lahoud issued a joint statement asserting that "resistance is a result of [the] occupation" of south Lebanon.
