By Nadim Ladki, Beirut - Lebanon's army deployed more soldiers in Beirut on Monday after the killing of a demonstrator raised fears anti-government protests could turn into sectarian violence. Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa warned the crisis could worsen and indicated he had discussed ideas for a solution with Lebanese officials during a 24-hour visit to Beirut.

Security sources said the military increased its forces in Sunni districts that Shi'a protesters drive through to get to central Beirut where the Hezbollah-led opposition is holding a sit-in to try to topple the Western-backed government.These districts saw clashes between residents and protesters on Sunday - from stone-throwing to fights with knives.

In the most serious incident, gunmen fired assault rifles at a group of protesters in a Sunni neighbourhood, a stronghold for the anti-Syrian majority coalition, killing one man.The body of Ahmed Mahmoud was brought to the protest site, where thousands of anti-government demonstrators read Qur'anic verses over a coffin wrapped in a Lebanese flag.

A Lebanese police officer stands guard in downtown Beirut in front of a Christmas tree and a poster of assasinated Lebanese industry minister Pierre Gemayel on 19 December 2006.

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BEIRUT - Hundreds of thousands of protesters from the Free Patriotic movement, Hizbullah and its opposition allies massed Friday in downtown Beirut seeking to force the resignation of Western-backed Prime Minister Fuad Siniora, who was holed up in his office ringed by hundreds of police and combat troops.  

 The oppositiom mobilized their bases for the protest, arranging to bus supporters from all over Lebanon and handing out free gasoline coupons to people in remote regions.The crowd, which the government estimated at 800,000, created a sea of Lebanese flags that blanketed downtown.Opposition officials put the number at 1 million and a half