Undaunted by twin bus bombings that killed three people the day before, tens of thousands of Lebanese packed into a city square Wednesday to mark the second anniversary of former prime minister Rafik Hariri's assassination.

Though Tuesday's bus attacks were still fresh in their minds, citizens attended the memorial to show they would not be intimidated by anti-government violence.

Tens of thousands of Lebanese pack a square in Beirut on Wednesday to mark the second anniversary of former prime minister Rafik Hariri's assassination.
(Mahmoud Tawil/Associated Press)

Armoured cars and troops in full combat gear surrounded the perimeter of Martyrs' Square to prevent clashes between the country's two main rival groups. Both government supporters commemorating Hariri's death as well as protesters backing the opposition were present but divided by a razor wire barrier.

Despite the Tuesday explosions on two commuter buses northeast of Beirut, admirers of Hariri clearly heeded calls from government supporters to show up to the rally in large numbers. Government supporters said the deadly blasts were intended to scare people away from the Wednesday commemoration.

Police conducted body searches of everyone arriving in the square.

At precisely 12:55 p.m., the minute an explosion killed Hariri and 22 others in 2005, the crowd fell silent. A church bell tolled as a muezzin led a solemn Islamic prayer.

Bulletproof glass guarded speakers who called for the approval of a United Nations-created tribunal to try the suspects in the Hariri assassination. Ratification of a tribunal has been held up by a political dispute.

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay issued a statement to "reiterate our call to bring those responsible to justice."

'Strong and inspired leader'

"[Hariri] died at the hands of those who do not believe in a free, democratic, pluralistic and modern Lebanon," MacKay's statement said. It referred to Hariri — among the country's most prominent politicians and the one credited with rebuilding Lebanon from the destruction of the 1975-1990 civil war — as "a strong and inspired leader."

Tuesday's minibus bombings set off international condemnation from the UN Security Council, which urged all Lebanese parties to exercise restraint and also stressed its support for the government.

The pro-government majority in parliament said it held the "Syrian regime fully responsible for this despicable crime" — a charge Syria vehemently denies.
 
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, the major opposition figure, also wanted the anniversary to pass peacefully. He praised the late Hariri in an article published Wednesday and said his death was a loss for the whole country.

With files from the Associated Press