Late Wednesday in downtown Beirut, eleven people were hurt in what started out as a peaceful demonstration commemorating the second anniversary of the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri. As demonstrators began to return home late in the night, violence erupted between pro-government supporters and the opposition. Eleven people were left injured, including a man who was wounded by gunshots.
"Eleven people were injured, including a man who was wounded by gunshots," a police spokesman told AFP on Thursday. Police told AFP Thursday that the incident started when opposition supporters threw stones on Hariri supporters returning from Beirut.
Saad Hariri, son of the late Rafiq Hariri, called for calm after some of his supporters had been stoned and insulted on their return to Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley.
Last month in Beirut, four people were killed and 150 others wounded when supporters of the Sunni Muslim leader clashed with Shiite opposition followers. This incident prompted fears of further disputes.
On Wednesday, US President George W. Bush called for the creation of a special tribunal for Lebanon to punish those behind Hariri’s slaying. He stated, "The United States joins the Lebanese people in demanding the truth behind Prime Minister Hariri's murder and calling for the establishment of a Special Tribunal for Lebanon to bring to justice those who murdered Rafiq Hariri and others who stood for Lebanese sovereignty and independence."
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said, "We encourage all parties to honor the memories of former Prime Minister Hariri and all others who have been targeted by such acts of terrorism in Lebanon, by resuming dialogue and pursuing peaceful means to resolve their differences."
