Muslims join huge Beirut protest to pile pressure on Syria

Flag-waving crowds from across the country packed the capital’s Martyrs’ Square near Mr Hariri’s grave and swamped nearby areas to demand an international inquiry into his death, the sacking of Syrian-backed security chiefs and a complete Syrian pullout.

In contrast to previous anti-Syrian protests since a bomb blast killed Mr Hariri last month, many Sunni Muslims joined Druze and Christians in taking to the streets. Mr Hariri was a Sunni. "We demand to know who killed Rafik al-Hariri," said Mustapha Mrad, a Sunni demonstrator carrying a Lebanese flag with a Hariri badge pinned to his jacket.

Organisers said a million people had joined the protest.

No independent estimate was available, but witnesses said the rally looked even bigger than last week’s pro-Syrian demonstration organised by Hezbollah and attended by hundreds of thousands.

Men, woman and children formed a vast sea of red and white - the opposition colours - as they thronged the square and streets all around. They stood in hushed silence for two minutes to commemorate Mr Hariri, a billionaire philanthropist.

They heard their leaders heap blame on Syria and its allies for his killing as they demanded a Syrian pullout.

Syria has denied any involvement in the killing.

Last week hundreds of thousands of people gathered in central Beirut to support Hezbollah’s right to bear arms and to thank Syria for its role in Lebanon, where Damascus has kept troops since intervening in the country’s civil war in 1976.

Yesterday’s protest could be the last of a series of rallies used by each side of Lebanon’s political divide to show their strength.

Political sources said fears were growing that street agitation, though peaceful so far, could spill into violence amid rifts over Syria’s role since Mr Hariri’s assassination.