(2 Dec 2006)
1. Prime minister's office with protesters
2. Various of protesters in tents
3. Night shot of Prime Minister's office
4. Various of former Lebanese president Amin Gemayel with Prime Minister Fuad Saniora
5. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Amin Gemayel, former Lebanese president:
"There is no other choice for the Lebanese but begin dialogue to understand each other. All this negativity will not lead to anything."
6. Wide of supporters visiting Saniora at his office
7. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Fuad Saniora, Lebanese Prime Minister:
"Our government will stay as long as it is working for Lebanon and as long as this government has the confidence of the Parliament."
8. Various of crowd chanting: "We want to enter the Serail (Prime Minister's office)"
9. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Vox pop, unnamed woman:
"The government will resign and we will stay here day and night, 24 hours a day until we bring it down."
10. Various of crowd
STORYLINE:
Thousands of Hezbollah supporters set up camp in the heart of Beirut on Saturday in a carnival-like, open-ended sit-in, vowing to topple the U.S.-backed government of Fuad Saniora through street pressure.
But the political crisis, which has disrupted life in the capital's commercial district and threatens to erupt into violence, was likely to drag on for days, if not weeks, as each side stuck to its guns.
Saniora, who has been holed up in his office only few meters (yards) from the protesters, made clear he has no intention of stepping down and urged Hezbollah to abandon its protests.
"Our government will stay as long as it is working for Lebanon and as long as this government has the confidence of the Parliament," he told reporters on Saturday.
He called on Hezbollah to return to the negotiating table but offered no suggestions for how that might happen.
As he spoke, thousands of Hezbollah supporters were noisily clamouring around hundreds of tents set up in central Beirut, where they vowed to stay until Saniora's government falls.
Hezbollah's support among Shiites skyrocketed after its strong showing in its war with Israel over the summer, and that has in part emboldened the group to demand a greater role in government.
Six pro-Hezbollah ministers resigned last month after the group's demand for a national unity government that would effectively give its and its allies veto power was rejected by the anti-Syrian majority.
Hezbollah and its allies contend the real fight is against American influence, saying the United States now dominates Lebanon in the interests of Israel.
On Friday, hundreds of thousands of Hezbollah supporters flooded downtown Beirut, the Lebanese capital, in a massive, peaceful demonstration, chanting nationalist slogans and songs just outside the main government offices.
Barbed wire and armoured vehicles separated the demonstrators from government headquarters where Saniora and some of his ministers have hunkered down.
Following the demonstration, participants set up hundreds of white tents across the downtown area _ a dozen or so just 50 meters (yards) from Saniora's offices.
Hezbollah supporters set up water tanks and portable latrines and distributed sandwiches, tea and coffee to those camped out.
Friday's protest was the opening volley in Hezbollah's campaign of open-ended demonstrations.
The event could be a watershed for the future of Lebanese politics, torn between anti-Syrian politicians who control the government and pro-Syrian forces led by Hezbollah.
Saniora and his supporters call the campaign a coup attempt led by neighbouring Syria and its ally Iran, a stance echoed by Washington.
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