The Charged Streets Of My Country

Rumors of street clashes were rampant this past evening in Beirut. The ISF and the Army were moving to quell one clash before moving quickly to quell another.

Barboor, Qasqas, Sabra, Shatila, Rasul A3tham Mosque area (where the road to the airport was blocked for a short while), Corniche Mazra3a, Salim Salam Bridge area, and Basta.

These are all Beirut neighborhoods that witnessed clashes and gun fires. The outcome: 1 dead and 13 wounded.

Ahmad Ali Mahmoud was shot dead in the Shatila roundabout. He is said to be affiliated to Amal. It's not clear who fired the shots at him and another two who were on the streets, but security sources say that the shots were fired from far which implicates "fifth columnists" (Check Beirut to the Beltway's assessment on that).

An Annahar photographer sustained injuries and broken bones in his face in the Qasqas clash, a clash which lasted 45 minutes during which the Army was trying to quell it. A bus carrying Opposition supporters was heading back to Dahieh from the protests and passed by Qasqas. A verbal exchange took place between the neighborhood residents and the bus riders which led to fist fights, use of batons, and hurling of empty glass bottles and rocks.

The ISF rounded up three Syrians who were hurling stones on the bus from a nearby mosque. This led to a retaliatory move by burning several stores owned by Syrian nationals in the Sabra neighborhood.

Tripoli also witnessed gun fire in the Abu Samra area. As March 14 supporters gathered in Marj Zhour roundabout, men in a Range Rover started firing in the air using AK-47s. Their vehicle carried a red and white flag, without a cedar. After the Army's intervention, they found in their car guns and live ammunition.

On another note, the Annahar daily reported that ex-President Amin Gemayel visited Sayyid Nasrallah at night and then subsequently was in contact with March 14 representatives to discuss the outcome of the visit.

A group of March 14 representatives also headed to Ain El-Tineh to meet with Berri and request a call for a Parliamentary session to which Berri was reluctant and warned that convening a Parliamentary session now would transfer the problem to the Parliament and instead the Opposition's demands should be met.

Just several hours before it's daytime in Lebanon. Worried about tomorrow more than ever.

Update: BAD NEWS- another protestor died after succumbing to his wounds.

"Nobody knows how many rebellions, besides political rebellions, ferment in the masses of life which people earth."