Thousands of Sunnis waved flags and burned tires earlier Tuesday in a “day of rage” to protest gains by the Shi’ite group Hizbullah.

The guerrilla group’s Western-backed opponents maintain that having an Iranian proxy in control of Lebanon’s government would be disastrous and lead to international isolation.

Hizbullah’s Sunni rivals held protests in different parts of Lebanon, mainly in the northern city of Tripoli, the capital Beirut and the main highway linking the capital with the southern port city of Sidon.

The largest gathering was in Tripoli, where thousands of people converged at a major square calling on Mikati not to accept the post and shouting slogans backing caretaker Prime Minister Sa’ad Hariri.