HUGE CROWDS PROTEST PRESIDENT SARGSYAN IN BEIRUT; COMMUNITY SAYS "NO" TO PROTOCOLS
2009/ 10/07 | 14:30
Diaspora
President Serzh Sargsyan was greeted by thousands of angry Armenians
upon his arrival in Beirut on Tuesday during his tour of the diaspora
to smooth Armenian fears of political rapprochement with Turkey.
Waving the red, blue and orange Armenian flag, chanting slogans and
brandishing banners condemning the proposed agreement with Turkey,
thousands of Lebanese Armenians converged on a luxury hotel in the
suburbs of East Beirut to leave President Serzh Sargsyan in no doubt
about their feelings.
In Lebanon, he will face an uphill task in talks with community
leaders. All the major political parties – which wield considerable
influence in the intricate and delicate Lebanese political system
– are against the proposed accord with Turkey. So too are all the
religious leaders.
Some demonstrators clashed briefly with anti-riot police who had
deployed around the hotel, and a handful of people were slightly
injured by batons, an AFP correspondent said.