Although he remains an ardent nationalist, a quirk of politics brings Mr Tarabay back on the streets of central Beirut, this time campaigning alongside pro-Syrian groups, such as the militant Hezbollah, to remove Lebanon’s Western-backed Government.

“Before, we were against the Syrians in Lebanon. But the Syrians left and today the problems are different,” said Mr Tarabay, a supporter of General Michel Aoun, a former Lebanese army commander who heads a mainly Christian party.

Mr Tarabay is one of thousands of protesters who turned central Beirut into a sea of tents and Lebanese flags over the weekend, vowing to remain in the streets until the Government of Fouad Siniora falls.

Rows of coiled razor wire, armoured vehicles and special forces troops mark the new frontline in Lebanon’s gravest political crisis since the end of the 1975-90 civil war.

From his office balcony the Prime Minister has a clear — and daunting — view of the scale of the Hezbollah-led demonstration seeking to remove him. Two city centre squares are filled with white canvas tents, erected on Friday evening to shelter the protesters.

One square is filled with supporters of Hezbollah and its Shia Muslim allies in the Amal Movement. The other contains Christian and Druze opposition groups. A towering bank of loudspeakers broadcasts Hezbollah military songs and recorded speeches by Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, the charismatic leader of the group.

Some protesters waving flags and chanting in time to beaten drums surged up and down the street. Others lay on thin mattresses in tents, reading newspapers and smoking water pipes. For the Hezbollah supporters the mass sit-in is an extension of the war fought in the summer against Israel.

“Israel is stronger than this Government and we defeated Israel,” said Hussein Awada, from the southern village of Srifa, which was heavily damaged during the war four months ago. “We will achieve another victory here.”

There was little attempt over the weekend to bridge the chasm between government and opposition, with both sides clinging to their positions. The Opposition says that its campaign was spurred by the refusal of the anti-Syrian March 14 coalition, which forms the backbone of the Government, to grant it a number of Cabinet seats proportional to its share of parliament. Ali Mokdad, a Hezbollah MP, told The Times that only a change of government would resolve the crisis. He said: “The Prime Minister has closed every door, every window to dialogue.”

The Government says that the Opposition agenda is being dictated by Syria and Iran. It has won expressions of support from Western governments, including from Margaret Beckett, the Foreign Secretary, who was in Beirut on Saturday.

So far the demonstration has remained good-natured, but many fear that if the deadlock continues it could turn violent.

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