May 7, 2008 2:40

Beirut Demo Turns Violent

Soldiers separating Shia Muslim neighborhoods from Sunni Muslim neighborhoods in West Beirut where a trade union demonstration and strike over wages tuned into an opposition protest

On a Beirut scale of civil disturbances, today's demonstration by labor unions demaninding better wages was relatively mild. Still, the sound of rifle fire and rocket explosions ecohing through the streets of Lebanon's capitol is just one sign that the once dormant protest movement to bring down the Lebanese government is coming back to life.

Not only were there no trade unions in sight, but instead of a planned Labor Day-style parade, the demonstration turned into a series of burning tire and rubble barricades guarded by young men belonging to the Shia Muslim opposition parties Hizballah and Amal. This in turn prompted many residents from Sunni Muslims neighborhoods to mobilize in support of the Lebanese government, and prevent the strike from shutting down their areas. Riots broke out in at least one area where Sunni and Shia neighborhoods meet.

This seemed to be a replay of demonstrations in January of 2007, when the Hizballah led opposition movement shut down Beirut with a much larger and more coordinated show of force. When that action too spun out of control, sparking riots in some of the same neighborhoods where unrest occurred today, the opposition backed down, rather than risk pushing the country closer to civil war.

Whether today's unrest presages a return to turblent street politcis remains to be seen. But the deadlock between Lebanon's opposition -- supported by Syria and Iran -- and the government -- supported by the United States -- remains as intractable as ever. Each side accuses the other of violating the democratic norms of the Lebanese state, which divides power among its main religious groups. The government objects to HIzballah's existence as an armed anti-Israeli militia and state-within-a-state. On the other hand, the Hizballah-led opposition accuses the government of collaborating with Israel and of illegally holding onto power despite the absence of any Shia Muslim ministers, as mandated by the constitution. The political crises is such that he country has been unable to hold elections for president since last fall, and is still without a head of state.

A Lebanese journalist was caught in the middle of a clash between street gangs

--Andrew Lee Butters/Beirut