Lebanese rally against Hezbollah in 'day of rage'

[oberliner]

Source: MSNBC

BEIRUT — Thousands of Sunnis waved flags, burned tires and torched a van belonging to Al-Jazeera on Tuesday during a "day of rage" to protest gains by the Shiite militant group Hezbollah, which is on the brink of controlling Lebanon's next government.

The largest gathering was in the northern city of Tripoli, a predominantly Sunni area and a hotbed of fundamentalists where thousands of people converged at a major square. Al-Jazeera said none of its crew was injured when protesters attacked the station's van.

The protests come one day after the Iranian-backed Hezbollah — considered a terrorist organization by Washington — secured support in parliament to name its own candidate, former premier Najib Mikati, for the next prime minister.

The militant group's Western-backed opponents maintain that having an Iranian proxy in control of Lebanon's government would be disastrous and lead to international isolation.


Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41246958/ns/world_news-mideastn_africa/