Beirut rally for murdered ex-PM
Large crowds have gathered in the Lebanese capital Beirut for a rally to mark the second anniversary of the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri.
Mr al-Hariri's son Saad said the rally would go ahead despite bus bombs that killed three people and wounded 20 in a Christian area earlier this week.
Thousands of Hariri loyalists streamed to the heavily-protected Martyrs Square near his grave hours ahead of the rally. Hundreds of soldiers and police with armoured vehicles guarded the square and diverted traffic away from the area.
Sectarian tensions have run high between pro-government Sunnis and Shi'ite Muslim supporters of opposition groups Hezbollah and Amal, both allies of Syria.
Saad Hariri said he wanted the anniversary to be "an occasion for the Lebanese to emphasise their adherence to the truth" - a reference to bringing his father's killers to justice. He said it was vital that a UN-backed tribunal try the suspects.
Syria denies involvement in Mr Hariri's assassination, which triggered international pressure that forced Damascus to withdraw its troops in 2005 after 29 years in Lebanon.
© Independent Television News Limited 2007. All rights reserved.
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