Lebanon Rolls On

The people of Lebanon used the power of peaceful demonstration to prompt the resignation of Prime Minister Omar Karami and his government today.

An estimated 50,000 people gathered Monday in Beirut's Martyr Square despite an order a day earlier by Lebanon's Interior Ministry for military forces to "use all necessary means" to make sure the demonstrations did not take place. CNN's Brent Sadler described Monday's protests as non-confrontational. "There is a standoff that is not in any way tense," he reported. "It is a mild-mannered ... standoff. The army and the police ... have ringed off a very large area in downtown Beirut."

InstantReplay remains cautiously optimistic for the future of Lebanon, but for now it's simply amazing to see the solidarity being displayed by a country known for anything but that.

Update: The Lebanon Daily Star is practically frothy about the developments. Of course, it's not all roses. Haaretz reports that one pro-government protester in northern Tripoli was killed in rioting.