Lebanon's parliament has opened a session to vote on a no-confidence motion over the assassination of former prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri after protesters defied a ban on demonstrations to urge Syria to withdraw its troops. 

Banks, schools and businesses closed on Monday, following an opposition call for a general strike to coincide with the debate.

Parliamentary sources said that with a clear majority of pro-Syrian deputies in the 128-member chamber, the government of Prime Minister Umar Karami was set to win the no-confidence vote. 

The session on Monday was called by opposition figures who had blamed Syria and loyalists for the 14 February killing of al-Hariri in Beirut.

Defying a ban

Earlier, thousands of demonstrators continued a sit-in at Martyrs' Square in the heart of Beirut despite a ban on protests that came into effect at 5am Beirut time (0300 GMT).

Opposition demonstrators sang the national anthem and waved Lebanese flags as leading opposition figure Akram Shuhaib addressed the crowd.

Hundreds of heavily armed troops, aided by police, deployed jeeps and trucks at the main crossroads leading to the square.

Media reports put the size of the crowds at 50,000 by mid-morning, while an army officer said there were about 20,000 demonstrators.

"Through your resistance you are writing a new page in history, one of regained independence," Druze opposition leader Walid Jumblatt said.

"Together we want a sovereign and  want to be friends with the Syrian people but we want the Syrian army to go."

The ban was announced on Sunday by Lebanese Interior Minister Sulayman Franjiyah.

'Syria out'

Two weeks after the assassination of al-Hariri, about 10,000 people had massed in the streets of Beirut late on Sunday shouting "Syria out!"

Aljazeera's correspondent in Lebanon, Abbas Nasir, said the Lebanese army and security forces closed all roads leading to the site.

Opposition sources told Aljazeera that thousands of people were stuck on the way to the site because of the road closures.

Penalising the government

In an interview with Aljazeera, Pierre Jmayil, an opposition representative, said protesters would go to the parliament to question the government's security responsibility.

"We want to ask the government, which is responsible for security in Lebanon, about its responsibility for al-Hariri's assassination," he told Aljazeera.

"We also want to politically penalise the government, as it has battled the Lebanese people all this time, forced by Syria," Jmayil added.  

The government no longer represents the people, he said.

"We want a self-ruled government that meets the ambitions of the people and judges according to the Lebanese free will," he said.

PHOTO CAPTION

Lebanese special forces watch opposition protestors raise their hands as they sing the Lebanese national anthem during a protest in Beirut, Lebanon, Monday Feb. 28, 2005. (AP)