Rival protests meet at Russian embassy in Beirut

Two rival demonstrations took place in front of the Russian Embassy in Beirut Sunday, with one group of people decrying Moscow's veto of a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Syria for its lethal crackdown on protesters, and another group chanting pro-Assad slogans. Al-Jamaa al-Islamiya organized a sit-in in front of the embassy in Corniche Al-Mazraa protesting Russia’s veto, while dozens of Syrian expatriates gathered to voice support for both Moscow and President Bashar al-Assad. Lebanese Internal Security Forces arrived at the scene and situated themselves between the two groups of protesters so as to prevent possible clashes.