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March 08, 2005

Hezbollah Protest Turns Out Hundreds of Thousands

CNN says, "Some news reports estimated Tuesday's crowd at 200,000 protesters but CNN's Beirut Bureau Chief Brent Sadler said it was difficult to give a figure -- save that the attendance was 'impressive.' "

The Guardian also says 200k is a good estimate.

Both the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times have "Hundreds of thousands."

Not to be outdone, Associated Press implies all these report's estimates are severly deflated. They assert the number is closer to five hundred thousand.

Perhaps someone should calibrate his or her calculator?

Update: Even al Jazeera is reluctant to buy into AP's numbers:

Hundreds of thousands of pro-Syrian demonstrators have gathered in Beirut to denounce what they see as Western interference in Lebanon.

Still, AP's estimate pales in comparison to that of Syrian backed TV:

Journalists at the scene estimated the crowd numbers at hundreds of thousands, while an official source and the television station of the Syrian-backed group Amal gave a figure of 1.5 million.

One and a half-million from a country whose population is 3.8 million is quite the stretch. One thing is for sure, Hezbollah is quite organized:

Buses and cars were ferrying supporters of Hizb Allah and its allies from across Lebanon. At the Riad al-Sulh Square, Hizb Allah members were setting up loud speakers and putting up Lebanese flags and banners.

I could be wrong, but I'm not sure there were cars and busses ferrying the pro-Lebanon protestors. Given that there are "1.4 million Syrian workers in Lebanon," one also wonders how many of today's particapants are truly Lebonese.

ANOTHER THOUGHT that comes to mind is when 1.4 million people stand to lose their jobs, today's event is more of a labor rally than a political statement.

Posted by bubba138 at March 8, 2005 08:31 AM