The massive street demonstrations in Lebanon may have died down, at least for now, but Lebanese are still demanding answers to who was behind the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri just over a month ago.
A mournful song greets a steady stream of visitors to the memorial site at Beirut's Martyrs' Square. Lebanese of all ages and religious beliefs come here to pass by the tomb and pay their respects to Rafik Hariri and his bodyguards who were killed in a massive car bomb explosion last month.During the day, the crowds tend to be light, but they increase markedly in the evenings.
| A general view of Lebanese opposition protesters tent camps where some activists are vowing to maintain a vigil until the last Syrian soldier leaves the country at the Beirut's Martyrs' Square |
Following Mr. Hariri's death, here was the center of the most massive street demonstrations Lebanon has ever seen. Demonstrators converged from all parts of the country to demand that neighboring Syria end its troop presence in the country and its meddling in Lebanese politics. They called on Lebanon's own pro-Syrian government to resign. To counter the anti-Syrian protests, the Shi'ite Hezbollah movement staged its own massive rally in support of Syria.
The large scale demonstrations may have died down in recent days, but a group of young Lebanese has set up a small tent city at one end of Martyrs' Square.
Moauwad, 25, says he and his friends have been here for the past month and he says they'll remain to continue to press their demands for democracy. He says they also want to know who was behind the killing of Mr. Hariri.
"We want to know the truth who killed Mr. Rafik al-Hariri and we need Syria to go out and we need democracy for our country,” he said. “That's what we want. We need also our government to go. We need government for the people - for all the people, for the Muslim for the Christian."
Amid growing international demands, Syria has withdrawn some of its troops and intelligence agents and pulled others back to the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon. Moauwad and many Lebanese here say they believe the Syrians will only leave completely if other countries, especially the United States keep up the pressure.
