By Anthony Shadid, Washington Post, Two of Lebanon's most powerful television stations played to their crowd. Future Television, loyal to Hariri and his Sunni constituency, devoted extensive coverage to the counterprotests in Tripoli. Hezbollah's Al-Manar, calling the protests in Beirut ``an unprecedented popular flood,'' aired four scenes simultaneously of the crowds surging downtown. The broadcast was laced with the vocabulary of the summer war with Israel: victory, steadfastness and salvation.``People who survived 33 days of war in the south have no problem staying here for a year, or even two,'' said Nada Mroueh, joining protesters flying flags that denoted their affiliation -- yellow for Hezbollah, orange for Aoun, green for Amal. ``Is it wrong to ask for our rights? Is Siniora more Lebanese than us? We are Lebanese, too.''

The demonstrators filled a swath of downtown and backed up into the main arteries leading into the city. Hezbollah has sought to cast the protest as representative of what it calls the national opposition, and the crowd unfurled a sea of the red, white and green Lebanese flag across downtown.

BEIRUT (AFP) - Lebanon's divided factions are aiming for a political compromise after mass protests led by the opposition overwhelmed Beirut and raised fears of a return to civil strife. The protracted deadlock has paralyzed the government,  opposition have clogged the capital in an escalating campaign to force a new national unity administration.

Arab diplomats were due in the capital to discuss a proposal with Prime Minister Fuad Siniora after securing the "agreement in principle" of  the opposition which launched a rally on Sunday the army said was "unprecedented" in size.Arab League envoy Mustafa Ismail was to hash out details of a proposal for the opposition's participation in the government after its six ministers pulled out last month. Sunday's huge protest in Beirut came on the 10th day of a thousands-strong sit-in on the government's doorstep, and was countered by a pro-government rally in Lebanon's second city of Tripoli.

The opposition has accused the government of being weak and corrupt and is demanding that Siniora's cabinet make way for a government of national unity.Siniora has accused the opposition of trying to mount a "coup," and pledged that his government will overcome the crisis, while repeatedly urging a return to talks.

Magazine entretien Farid Elias el Khazen