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Protesters mob Australian PM over crisis in Lebanon

"Hezbollah is protecting Lebanon, they are freedom fighters, not terrorists."

Muhammad El Khatib, protest leader

Violent scuffles broke out between police and pro-Lebanon protesters who mobbed Australia's prime minister yesterday demanding more government action to bring peace in the Middle East, a news agency reported.

Prime Minister John Howard was leaving a state conference of his Liberal Party in the west coast city of Perth when about 200 protesters of Lebanese descent mobbed his car, local news agencies said.

Protesters punched and kicked police and threw projectiles at the car, they reported.

Howard's entourage sped from the scene as police wrestled protesters to the ground, they said. Police arrested at least one protester.

Many of the demonstrators waved Lebanese flags and shouted, "We want peace."

People in cars with Lebanese and Palestinian flags attached circled the protesters and police, sounding their horns.

Hundreds of Lebanese civilians have been killed in more than two weeks of airstrikes by Israeli forces. Hezbollah militants have also launched attacks in Israeli territory, killing 33 Israeli soldiers and 19 civilians. Dozens of Hezbollah fighters are reported to have died in the fighting.

Protest leader Muhammad El Khatib said he has family in Lebanon and that the Australian government is not doing enough to broker peace in the region.

"Hezbollah is protecting Lebanon, they are freedom fighters, not terrorists," he said.

"There should be aid. They say there is aid getting through to Lebanon. There isn't," he added. "There are people hiding from bombs. We just want peace."

Protesters later continued their rally along one of Perth's main streets calling for peace in the Middle East.

Howard has blamed Hezbollah for the current Middle East crisis and has defended the Israeli retaliation for the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers.
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