Recapturing the momentum

I was concerned that the Hezbollah-organized, pro-Syria rally last week would take some of the wind out of the sails of the opposition. I guess that concern was misplaced.

Hundreds of thousands of Lebanese marched through central Beirut today chanting "Syria Out" in the biggest protest yet against the influence of Damascus in Lebanon.

Crowds of men, women and children flooded Martyrs Square, spilling over into nearby streets, while more from across the country packed the roads into Beirut, responding to the opposition call to mark a month since the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

The protest easily dwarfed the pro-Government rally of some 500,000, held last week by the Shia Muslim group Hezbollah. That show of strength forced the opposition to act to regain its momentum.

Syria's military withdrawal continued today, with about 50 intelligence agents closing two offices in northern Lebanon: in the town of Amyoun and in Deir Ammar on the coastal road linking the port city of Tripoli with the Syrian border, residents said. . . .

There were no official estimates of the crowd size, but an Associated Press estimate put it at around 800,000 before the protest formally started, making it the biggest demonstration ever seen in this country of 3.5 million.