More than 200 Lebanese and Palestinians have held a protest near the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon against a White House plan for ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Protesters waving Palestinian flags gathered Sunday on a road leading to the embassy northeast of Beirut amid tight security by Lebanese troops and riot policemen. Lebanon is home to tens of thousands of Palestinian refugees and their descendants.
The U.S. plan heavily favored Israel. It would grant the Palestinians limited self-rule in parts of the occupied West Bank. Israel would annex all its settlements there and keep nearly all of east Jerusalem, which Palestinians claim as the capital of a future Palestinian state.
As the Associated Press reports, protesters were seen removing barbed wire and were able to reach a metal fence that was erected by security forces. It appeared that police used pepper spray on those involved to try and hold some of the protesters back. At least three demonstrators were reportedly carried away by police. The protesters dispersed later in the day the reports said.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas came out Saturday threatening to cut security ties with the United States and Israel. The statements were made at an Arab League meeting.
