One witness said: "It appears that Hezbollah was prepared right from the beginning to steal the show from the unions and inflict maximum damage to the government."

Hezbollah later confirmed what the witness said. In an interview with an Iranian news agency a Hezbollah spokesman said we are going to open the gates of hell to this government

At 6:35 am Hezbollah-led Demonstrators started their protest by burning tires in the Hezbollah predominantly controlled areas of Ouzai, Qassqass, airport road.

At about the same time other protesters closed Salim Salam bridge, Shatilla area with stolen cars and Hezbollah protesters in of the tents city in downtown Beirut closed the ring overpass.

The Hezbollah protesters on the airport road closed the airport road with burning tires
The closure of the Beirut airport led to cancellation of 32 incoming and outgoing flights.

As this was taking place tension developed in the Sunni areas of Abu Haidar, Bashoura and Salim Salam between the Hezbollah-led protesters and the pro government supporters

While all this was going on the situation was normal in Ashrafiyeh, Baabda, Jbeil, Kesrouan, Metn, Aley, the Chouf mountains and Zahle which did not participate in the strike or demonstrations .The same in Batroun and Zghorta provinces where roads and schools remained open.

Between 7:00 am and 8:00am Hezbollah-led protesters including masked men:
- Closed Corniche Mazraa thoroughfare with garbage containers
- Closed Sultan Ibrahim and Marriott Hotel roads
- Closed Tiro-Shweifat road with burning tires
- Closed Zahrani road in south Lebanon
- Closed Salim Salam Bridge and the Kuwaiti embassy roundabout
- Closed Khalde road
- Closed Douris road in Baalbek
- Closed Shtoura road in Beqaa region

At around 8:40 am protesters tossed a hand grenade on Corniche Mazraa road, wounding three people and two army soldiers.

About 100 demonstrators then came out of the Barbir area and headed towards the entrances to Mar Elias street and started burning tires.

Other protesters closed the Beirut International Airport road.

At this point a meeting of the General Federation of Labor Unions (GFLU) headed by Ghassan Ghosn was held discuss the fate of the demonstration that was due to take place at 10 am.

At 10:30 am The GFLU union called off the demonstration that was due to take place at 10 am.

At around 11:00 am clashes erupted in Ras el-Nabaa between supporters of March 14 Forces and the opposition but the Lebanese army intervened and ended the clash.

At 11:20 am Ghassan Ghosn held a press conference to explain reasons behind calling off the demonstration. He accused the government of dividing the workers in order to prevent them from taking part in today's strike. He said the government did not approve a suitable pay raise.

Ghosn said the demonstration was scheduled to take off from Barbir past Mar Elias all the way down to Hamra street in west Beirut. He accused authorities of failing to provide protection for demonstrators which led to "suspending" the demonstration

Ghosn added that even though the strike was suspended, he plans to meet again to set another date for the demonstration/strike, prior to ending his news conference at around 11:30 am.

• Confrontation intensified between pro-government supporters and Hezbollah-led opposition supporters in Corniche Mazraa. Lebanese army troops fired in the air to disperse the demonstrators.
• Pro-government supporters and opposition members tossed stones at each other in Corniche Mazraa and army troops, trying to disperse the antagonists, were caught in the fight
• Heavy bursts of gunfire was reported in Nwairi neighborhood
• There were reports of gunfire in Mazraa region
• Clashes erupted in Museitbeh between members of Amal and the Progressive Socialist Party
• Al Mustaqbal movement office in Nwairi was targeted by grenades and gunshots
• Gunfire was heard in the area of Beirut Arab University-Cola district
• Rocket Propelled Grenades destroyed Al Mustaqbal movement offices in Nwairi and three wounded
• Lebanese Security forces intervened and contained clashes in Wata Museitbeh area

• The airport road was opened by the army
• Flights from and into Beirut airport resumed
• At 3:30 fighting resumed in Mazraa region
• Almustaqbal supporters in Beqaa threatened to come to Beirut after learning that their offices in Nwairi was targeted by grenades and gunshots but their leader MP Saad Hariri urged calm and restraint

Most Lebanese blamed Hezbollah for the violence. Samir Geagea, leader of the Lebanese Forces, said Hezbollah has become like the Mahdi army in Iraq, in reference to the Muqtada al Sadr militia.

MP Akram Shehayyeb a member of the Progressive Socialist Party, said Hezbollah is no longer a resistance movement, it is officially a militia now.

MP Henri Helo said, what happened today was extremely dangerous and will have long term repercussions.

In an interview with an Iranian news agency a Hezbollah spokesman said, what happened today is just the beginning, and much more is coming. We are going to open the gates of hell to this government.

Top picture: A Lebanese soldier bleeds after being hit in the mouth by a stone during a protest

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