Heavy gunfire heard in central Beirut as protestors try to storm PM's office
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A Lebanese man, holding his national flag, joins the funeral procession of top intelligence chief General Wissam al-Hassan and his bodyguard, in downtown Beirut on Oct 21, 2012. Hassan, a prominent Lebanese figure opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, died when a powerful bomb exploded in an upmarket Beirut suburb on Oct 19, 2012, sparking angry calls for Prime Minister Najib Mikati and his government to quit. -- PHOTO: AFP
BEIRUT (REUTERS) - Heavy gunfire erupted in central Beirut on Sunday after protesters tried to storm the offices of Prime Minister Najib Mikati, demanding that he quit over the assassination of a top intelligence official.
An official said security forces had fired in the air.
Witnesses said at least two protesters had fainted, apparently as a result of tear gas fired by security forces after protesters breached an outer barrier around the prime minister's offices.
Hundreds of protesters, waving flags from the anti-Syrian opposition Future Movement - a mainly Sunni Muslim party - and Christian Lebanese Forces as well as black Islamist flags, marched on Mr Mikati's offices after the funeral of Brigadier General Wissam Al-Hassan.
