Lebanon's streets tense, after opposition block roads (Roundup)

May 7, 2008, 11:11 GMT

Beirut - Lebanon's Labour Union cancelled its scheduled demonstration on Wednesday to avoid street violence, shortly after the Hezbollah-led opposition blocked the main roads leading to the capital with burning tyres and sand barricades.

The cancellation of the strike came after a sonic bomb was thrown at demonstrators gathering on Beirut's Corniche al-Mazraa street.

At least five people were slightly wounded, among them two Lebanese army soldiers, hospital sources said.

'The street of Corniche al-Mazraa is now divided into two parts, on the left side there are followers of the ruling majority and on the right side the opposition. They are constantly throwing stones at each other,' a Lebanese army officer on the scene told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

Two photojournalists covering the incidents were also wounded in the stone throwing.

The head of Lebanon's Labour Union, Ghassan Ghosen told dpa 'we cancelled the protest because it is being politicized ... and we do not want violence to spread in the street.'

Ghosen, who is close to the opposition, accused the Western-backed government of escalating the situation and preventing the union from exercising 'its democratic right.'

A demonstration by the country's main labour union was cancelled as few people were able to reach the main gathering point due to road blocks by opposition followers.

'The army and the government's forces are supposed to open the roads and pave the way for the demonstrators,' Ghosen said.

The strike was called by the union to force the government to raise the monthly minimum wage which has been unchanged since 1996.

Although the cabinet on Tuesday agreed to a 130-dollar increase a month to 330 dollars, the General Confederation of Labour Unions said it was insufficient.

The federation is demanding that the minimum wage be increased to 600 dollars but the government has balked at such a rise, and Finance Minister Jihad Azour has said it could lead to rampant inflation.

Meanwhile, supporters of the opposition, led by the Shiite Islamist group Hezbollah, continued to bring trucks loaded with sand and stones, 'tightly blocking' the main road leading to Beirut airport.

Opposition followers near the airport told dpa 'the airport road will remain closed as long as this government is in power.'

The strike and anti-government protests forced Beirut's international airport to suspend flights, airport officials said, adding that so far 32 flights to and from Lebanon's only civilian airport have either been delayed or cancelled.

The opposition has backed the strike. Activists loyal to the Shiite group also blocked routes to Beirut's main commercial district and Beirut's usually busy sea port.

'Hezbollah is trying to show the government that their followers can easily close Beirut streets when they want,' said analyst Oukaab Sakr.

'What we are seeing today on the streets of Beirut is very dangerous and ugly,' he added.

The scenes were reminiscent of an anti-government protest on January 23, 2007 that led to some of Lebanon's worst domestic strife since the country's 1975-90 civil war.

Lebanon has been gripped by a deep political crisis, and Hezbollah has been leading a campaign against Prime Minister Fouad Seniora's government since November 2006.

The standoff has left Lebanon without a president for five months.

The tension between the government and Hezbollah escalated sharply Tuesday after the cabinet accused the group of violating Lebanon's sovereignty by operating its own communications network and installing spy cameras at the airport.

The government, supported by the United States and a number of Arab countries including Saudi Arabia, also removed the head of Beirut airport security in another challenge to Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran and Syria.

The Shiite group however said the communications network was part of a security apparatus in its ongoing fight against Israel.