Two rival demonstrations took place in front of the Russian Embassy in Beirut Sunday, with one group of people decrying Moscow's veto of a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Syria for its lethal crackdown on protesters, and another group chanting pro-Assad slogans. Al-Jamaa al-Islamiya organized a sit-in in front of the embassy in Corniche Al-Mazraa protesting Russia’s veto, while dozens of Syrian expatriates gathered to voice support for both Moscow and President Bashar al-Assad. Lebanese Internal Security Forces arrived at the scene and situated themselves between the two groups of protesters so as to prevent possible clashes.