Gemayel supporters in huge rally, coffin, father addresses crowd

Описание: (23 Nov 2006) SHOTLIST
1. Various of rally attended by hundreds of thousands in Martyrs' Square
2. Amin Gemayel, father of Pierre, and former President of Lebanon, walks to podium to address crowd, flanked by Samir Geagea on left and Saad Hariri on right, breaks down into tears
3. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Amin Gemayel, "Our change and reforms start from the head, start by the counting down in order to elect a new president for the republic."
4. Crowds in Square
5. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Amin Gemayel, "The counting down started and we won't give up; we won't rest until we have an investigation and bring to justice all those who commit all these crimes against our leaders, our sons, our beloved ones and against Lebanon."
6. Various coffin being carried out of St.George's Cathedral through crowds, to be taken to Bikfaya for burial
STORYLINE
Hundreds of thousands of Lebanese gathered to bid farewell to Pierre Gemayel, the slain Christian politician, Thursday, and his anti-Syrian allies turned his funeral into a powerful show of force against their
opponents, led by the powerful Shiite Muslim Hezbollah and its allies.
Gemayel's coffin, wrapped in the flag of his right wing Phalange Party - white with a green cedar emblem - was brought from his hometown Bikfaya and carried through applauding throngs in downtown Beirut to the St. George's Cathedral, where the packed congregation sang hymns.
The head of the Maronite Church, Cardinal Nasrallah Sfeir, left his mountain headquarters to lead the funeral service, in which family and dignitaries, including France's foreign minister and the Arab League secretary general, were participating.
The country's top Shiite politician, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a key Hezbollah ally, also attended in an attempt to show national unity.
The father of the assassinated cabinet minister, Amin Gemayel, a former president of the nation, was flanked by prominent Christian politicians, Saad Hariri and Samir Geagea, as he came to address the crowds.
Emotion overcame him and he broke down in tears.
He called for a new president in an attack against Emile Lahoud, the pro-Syrian leader who currently holds the office.
Gemayel also said there would be no rest until an investigation brought the killers to justice.
The sprawling Martyrs' Square was packed with men, women and children, waving red, white and
green Lebanese flags and posters of Gemayel.
Crowds carried the coffin from the St.George's Cathedral to the the hearse which will carry Pierre Gemayel to his final resting place in the family hometown, Bikfaya.
Police estimated some 800,000 people participated in the rally and funeral.

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