Hezbollah calls for huge protests

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The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has called for a huge turnout for opposition protests aimed at bringing down the anti-Syrian government.

Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah called on Lebanese people to join protests and civil disobedience starting on Friday.

The government of PM Fouad Siniora has been under pressure over its backing for the setting up of a UN tribunal to try the killers of Rafik Hariri.

The government has said that it will not back down over the tribunal.

"We appeal to all Lebanese, from every region and political movement, to take part in a peaceful and civilised demonstration on Friday to rid us of an incapable government that has failed in its mission," Sheikh Nasrallah said in a television broadcast.

Tensions

Hezbollah and its allies have been threatening these protests for weeks.

Six pro-Syrian ministers resigned from the Lebanese cabinet earlier this month after it approved draft United Nations plans for an international tribunal on Mr Hariri's murder.

Tensions between the pro-Syrian and pro-Western factions escalated after the killing of industry minister Pierre Gemayel last week.

Allies of Damascus argue that the cabinet's backing for the tribunal is unconstitutional because the Shia community in Lebanon was not represented in the cabinet when it made its final decision.

Many in Lebanon accuse Damascus of orchestrating the killings of Mr Hariri, Mr Gemayel and other prominent anti-Syrian figures. Syria denies any involvement in the deaths.

In 2005, Syria withdrew its troops from Lebanon after a presence of 29 years, following massive domestic and international pressure following the assassination of Mr Hariri.