Beirut - Student supporters of rival Christian Lebanese
political parties scuffled at the Lebanese University on Tuesday a
day before a scheduled strike by labour unions threatens the security
in the country.
Followers of opposition Christian hardliner Michel Aoun, and
others loyal to anti-Syrian Christian leader Samir Geagea, beat each
other with sticks at the arts department of the Lebanese University
in Fanar, east of Beirut.
Aoun's followers said cars carrying members of the Lebanese Forces
(LF) armed with sticks, chains and sharp objects started attacking
their followers. At least four students from both sides were injured
and taken to hospital.
Aoun's movement the Free Patriotic Movemnet (FPM) issued a
statement denouncing the 'militia acts' and called on security forces
to 'do their duty and arrest and interrogate the attackers -
specially as some have been named - in order to prevent the
recurrence of such incidents or escalation into worse situations.'
For their part, the Lebanese Forces student committee issued a
statement saying that 'once again, the Aouni militia attacks target
students of the Lebanese Forces' and that LF 'comrades were attacked
at with sticks inside the Lebanese University's second branch campus
before the eyes of the faculty and staff.'
The LF added: 'This is not the first time that Lebanese Forces
students are assaulted by the Free Patriotic Movement and its allies.
We condemn these cheap acts, which...are an example of the Hezbollah
logic and mini-state.
'The Lebanese Forces student committee emphasizes their commitment
to calm and has filed a complaint against the aggressor to official
security forces.'
Aoun, who is a close ally of Hezbollah, called Monday on
opposition workers to join Wednesday's planned demonstration by the
Confederation of Lebanon's Labour Union to topple the Western-backed
government of Prime Minister Fouad Seniora.
Hezbollah has also urged followers to join the demonstrations
called by Lebanon's labour unions to protest the high cost of living
in the country.
Similar calls in the past have developed into riots and clashes in
the streets between followers of the Western-backed government and
those loyal to the Aoun opposition, led by Syrian-backed Hezbollah.
Lebanon's ruling coalition and the opposition, supported by Iran
and Syria, are deadlocked over power-sharing. The crisis has
prevented the election of a new president.
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