Christian rival supporters scuffle at Beirut university

May 6, 2008, 16:58 GMT

Beirut - Student supporters of rival Christian Lebanese political parties scuffled at the Lebanese University on Tuesday a day before a scheduled strike by labour unions threatens the security in the country.

Followers of opposition Christian hardliner Michel Aoun, and others loyal to anti-Syrian Christian leader Samir Geagea, beat each other with sticks at the arts department of the Lebanese University in Fanar, east of Beirut.

Aoun's followers said cars carrying members of the Lebanese Forces (LF) armed with sticks, chains and sharp objects started attacking their followers. At least four students from both sides were injured and taken to hospital.

Aoun's movement the Free Patriotic Movemnet (FPM) issued a statement denouncing the 'militia acts' and called on security forces to 'do their duty and arrest and interrogate the attackers - specially as some have been named - in order to prevent the recurrence of such incidents or escalation into worse situations.'

For their part, the Lebanese Forces student committee issued a statement saying that 'once again, the Aouni militia attacks target students of the Lebanese Forces' and that LF 'comrades were attacked at with sticks inside the Lebanese University's second branch campus before the eyes of the faculty and staff.'

The LF added: 'This is not the first time that Lebanese Forces students are assaulted by the Free Patriotic Movement and its allies. We condemn these cheap acts, which...are an example of the Hezbollah logic and mini-state.

'The Lebanese Forces student committee emphasizes their commitment to calm and has filed a complaint against the aggressor to official security forces.'

Aoun, who is a close ally of Hezbollah, called Monday on opposition workers to join Wednesday's planned demonstration by the Confederation of Lebanon's Labour Union to topple the Western-backed government of Prime Minister Fouad Seniora.

Hezbollah has also urged followers to join the demonstrations called by Lebanon's labour unions to protest the high cost of living in the country.

Similar calls in the past have developed into riots and clashes in the streets between followers of the Western-backed government and those loyal to the Aoun opposition, led by Syrian-backed Hezbollah.

Lebanon's ruling coalition and the opposition, supported by Iran and Syria, are deadlocked over power-sharing. The crisis has prevented the election of a new president.