Saturday, July 23, 2011

Mass Syrian protest against Assad regime adds to death toll


(Syrian anti-regime protesters carry a picture of President Assad that reads, "Leave. We don't trust you. You will leave and we will stay because Syria is ours. Enough of injustice and killing," during a rally in Damascus.)

Hundreds of thousands demonstrate as security forces kill at least 11 people with president rumoured to call elections

Nour Ali in Damascus and Ian Black, Middle East editor
guardian.co.uk, Friday 22 July 2011

"Hundreds of thousands of Syrians turned out for anti-regime demonstrations across the country on Friday with at least 11 people reported killed by security forces and tensions mounting in the runup to the Ramadan holiday.

Casualty figures – collated by two Syrian human rights groups – were down on previous weeks but the numbers of demonstrators appeared to be some of the largest yet seen in the four-month uprising.

In Aleppo, Syria's second city, unarmed military cadets were seen marching with civilian protesters and calling for the overthrow of the regime and the departure of President Bashar al-Assad.....

Activists said that several tank crews this week defected and joined protesters in the eastern town of Albu Kamal bordering Iraq's tribal Sunni heartland....

Syrian activists are warning protesters who imitate slogans from Egypt and Tunisia (where the army changed sides and helped overthrow both presidents) such as "the people and the army are one hand!" that they should not count on the military changing sides. "This is a very different situation here and we know that," said one Damascus activist....."

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