BEIRUT — Waving flags and chanting "Syria out!" hundreds of thousands of protesters thronged the Lebanese capital Monday in the largest rally since the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri a month ago, which had touched off unprecedented public calls for Syria to end its nearly 30-year occupation.
After weeks of back-and-forth rallies by both sides, Monday's demonstration was an effort by opposition leaders to regain momentum after a massive pro-Syria protest last Tuesday organized by the Shiite Muslim party Hezbollah. An official count of Monday's crowd was not available, but the private Lebanese Broadcasting Corp. estimated attendance at 1 million, about a quarter of the country's population and double the turnout of the Hezbollah protest.
There were no reports of violence as protesters turned Martyrs Square into a sea of red, green and white Lebanese flags. Many carried placards demanding Syria's withdrawal and information on Hariri's killing, and they wore the sky-blue ribbons that have come to symbolize their demand for answers.
Streets were so jammed that thousands of demonstrators left their cars roadside and walked miles to get downtown. Many schools canceled classes so students could attend. As with previous opposition protests, this one was dominated by young people, many wearing fashionable jeans, designer T-shirts and wraparound sunglasses.
Protesters criticized Lebanon's pro-Syria government for what they called the lack of progress in the investigation into the Feb. 14 explosion that killed Hariri as his car traveled along a seafront boulevard. In a shift from previous rallies, President Emile Lahoud was the target of pointed denunciations, with opposition politicians and protesters calling on him to step down.
Opposition leaders had sought a massive turnout to claim a public mandate against Syria's presence and the current government. Analysts said the rally would increase pressure on Prime Minister Omar Karami to meet a range of opposition demands. Karami resigned Feb. 28 in the face of growing protests, but Hezbollah's show of strength last week emboldened the government to reappoint him.
"I see this as a vote of no confidence in the regime," said Adnan Iskandar, a political analyst here. "Today's demonstration was a referendum to a great extent."
The gathering also could bolster support for opposition politicians in parliamentary elections later this spring.
