"People Power" in Lebanon

White House Spokesman Scott McClellan at a White House press conference yesterday:

We want to see the complete and immediate withdrawal of all Syrian military forces and all intelligence services in Lebanon. This [the Syrian decision to redeploy troops along the border] is a half-measure that simply does not achieve that objective. We stand with the Lebanese people. The Lebanese people are the ones who want a country that is sovereign and independent and free from outside interference. And that's who we stand with.

Below are some photos of various protests in Beirut, some from last week, some from today. Some of the protesters are calling for Syrian troops to withdraw from Lebanon. Others are calling for them to stay. The numbers are apparently quite comparable (if not tilting more toward the pro-Syrian side, which has particularly strong support among the Shi'a community, which now comprises 40 percent of Lebanon's population).

Will the real Lebanese "people" please raise their hands?



Update: Juan Cole has some interesting comments about the pro-Syrian demonstrations.

*Alireza Doostdar is a Ph.D. Student in Social Anthropology and Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard University.